Ed Edd n Eddy: Changing Seasons
by daftguyman4
Summary: Now in high school, the Eds continue their adventures. Yet soon Double D finds himself, to his shock, and everyone elses, falling for Marie Kanker. What will come from these new found feelings? Find out, Ed Edd n Eddy style!
1. Chapter 1

The Cul-De-Sac

As Edd "Double D" followed Eddy and Ed in their march toward the junkyard, he tried once again to knock some sense into his friend.

"Eddy, please stop! Surely by now you've realized the consequences of going up against the Kanker sisters!"

Yet it was no use, and Edd knew it. Eddy was on the warpath, and no amount of reasoning was going to stop him. For a brief moment, Edd considered telling Eddy that he would replace the tires himself, free of charge. If there was anything that could get through to Eddy, it was the promise of free money.

 _Good lord, Edward! What are you thinking?_ Double D chastised himself. Trying to bride Eddy into submission, even if it could save their lives, was dishonest and wrong. Besides which, Double D doubted he had enough money to afford the tacky kind of tires that Eddy would have wanted. That left but one option.

The Kankers. The mere thought of their namesent a small shiver up Double D's spine. He had had enough dealings with the Kankers as it was today. The thought of facing them _again_ was almost too much to bear.

In front of him, Ed was even more of a nervous wreck then he was. Although they were now teenagers, Ed still had his misgivings of girls in general; the Kankers, specifically May, absolutely terrified him.

"Eddy, stop!" Ed pleaded. He dove onto the sidewalk and grabbed Eddy's legs, holding him in place as he trembled. "Kankers! Bad! Pain!" Ed shouted at Eddy, trying in his own way to pacify his friend.

But Eddy wasn't having any of it. With an unexpected strength, he shook Ed off his legs and continued his march toward the junkyard, entering the lane that separated the cul-de-sac from the trailer park. He turned briefly to regard the Eds with his blazing eyes.

"Will you two morons SHUT IT?! We're doing this! Aint no way I'm letting Lee freaking Kanker get away with this!" His eyes were almost as red as the ketchup stains on his shirt. With that declaration, Eddy squeezed through a gap in the fence and disappeared into the lane.

In a terror, Ed ran over to Double D and grabbed him in a bone shattering squeeze. "But I'm too young Double D!" Ed wailed as he started to cry into Edd's shirt. Double D didn't say anything, he couldn't: Ed had literally squeezed the wind out of him. But as he struggled in vain to escape the grasp of his emotional friend, Edd couldn't help but wonder.

 _This looked to be such a promising day. What went wrong?_

Flashback:

BEEP. BEEP. .

As soon as his alarm went off, Edd's eyes flew open. In one fluid motion, he kicked off the covers, jumped onto his floor, and proceeded to make the bed, making sure there were no unsightly creases. He then gathered his clothes ( black pants, orange button down, blue tie, and ski hat) and headed to the bathroom.

 _Ahhh. The first day of school. A full year of academic learning and advancement!_

After a quick shower, Edd stood before his bathroom mirror brushing his teeth. The brains of the Ed's had changed a decent amount since hitting adolescence. He had gotten taller, although he still was not as tall as the towering Ed. His hair was now longer, so that it peeked underneath his trademark ski cap. His face and body had a slightly more muscular, mature look to them as well. That said, he was still the weakest in the cul-de-sac, and also the most inept at gym class.

Finishing up, Edd walked downstairs to his kitchen. He found a sticky note attached to the fridge, a good luck note from his mother and father. Like always, they were gone before and was up and would not be back till late at night. Yet Edd didn't mind: he was proud of all the hard work his parents did.

Too engrossed in the note, Double D failed to realize that someone was already in his kitchen, leaning back in a chair with his feet resting on top of the round table.

"Mornin', Sockhead!"

The unexpected announcement shocked Double D, who jumped so high that he nearly hit the ceiling. As his heart was pounding from the shock, Eddy let out a mischievous tackle.

Straightening his tie, Edd rounded on his friend. "Good lord man! You know how much I DETEST it when you do that!"

Eddy just continued to snicker. Out of the three Ed's, he probably had changed the most. He had grown his hair out enough to allow him to gel some of it around his forehead. He had also grown out his sideburns a bit, claiming that the "chicks would go nuts". Like usual, Eddy was wearing jeans and a yellow shirt. Although he had also gone through a growth spurt, he was still one of the smallest in the cul-de-sac. Yet, as everyone was well aware, he still had the loudest mouth. And the biggest ego.

Double D noticed that Eddy had his feet on the table, nearly causing him to have a fit. . Barely keeping it together, he asked, "Eddy? Can you _kindly_ take your disgusting shoes off the table?"

Eddy rolled his eyes, "Jeez, Edd: you nag more than my parents".

After Eddy had (reluctantly) took his feet down, Double D found his good humor returning. "Aren't you excited Eddy? With the ending of summer frivolities, we are now prepared for a new semester of-"

"Stupid ass classes and boredom?" Eddy cut him off, unable to deal with any more of Double D's nerd speech. School sucked, and everyone knew that. The last thing he needed was to have Darth Eddward start on one his rants. They hadn't even had a single day of classes yet.

Edd was hurt by Eddy's abrupt dismal, but he wasn't entirely surprised. While he himself was a straight A student, Eddy somehow excelled at getting a D in almost everything. Overall, he did worse than Ed did, and _that_ was saying something.

Suddenly, Eddy's eyes lit up, suddenly remembering why he had barged into Double D's house in the first place. "C'mon Einstein, let's get moving! I got something to show you and Mono-brow!"

Unaccustomed to Eddy actually suggesting they _leave_ so early in the morning, Edd tried to protest. "But Eddy, I haven't even eating breakfast yet and-" he trailed off, realizing something. Usually, where one Ed went, two others followed; it had been that way since they were children. Yet Ed himself was nowhere to be seen. "Eddy, where's Ed?"

By this time, Eddy had leapt to his feet and was pushing Double D toward the door. "Who cares? We'll catch him on the way out". Edd tried to protest, yet Eddy was too determined. As soon as they opened the door however, they saw a familiar face just standing there, engrossed in the latest issue of _Mud Man Cyclops_ comics.

Big Ed had changed least of all amongst the three. He wore the same attire of a t shirt and green coat. He was considerably taller and now had more hair on both his head and on his face. He still loved buttered toast, talked complete nonsense, and was afraid of the "girl germs".

Why he was just standing on the front step Double D couldn't fathom, but then again no one really understood Ed.

"Umm…..Ed? What are you-ED!"

As soon as Double D opened his mouth, Ed looked up with his customary smile. He then wrapped his arm around the teenager's head, giving him a nuggie so hard it nearly ripped the ski cap right off his head. "Double D!" Ed cried out happily.

Still in the doorway, Eddy was bent over in laughter. "You two need some _alone_ time? I can call a cab." Yet as Eddy stood wiping the tears from his eyes, Ed's arm suddenly shot out and grabbed him. Now having both his friend's in a headlock, it was Eddy's turn to get the noogie.

"Eddy! We are back together again, the three amigos out to defeat the evil mutant meatballs!" Ed sang as both Double D and Eddy tried in vain to get out of his grasp.

"Ed, you idiotic! Watch my hair!" If there was one thing Eddy couldn't stand, it was people messing with his hair. For his part, Edd felt his eyes start to water. Although Ed's parents had insisted that their son shower more frequently once he entered high school, hygiene still wasn't Ed's best of friend. If they didn't free themselves soon, the smell of his arm pits would probably knock them out.

"Ed…..please. While we are happy to see you….we can't _breathe"_ _ **.**_

"Yeah Lumpy! We just saw you yesterday for crying out loud!" Eddy chimed him, now desperately worried about how his hair. Ed released them, his typical happy-go-lucky grim plastered to his face. After taking a few deep breaths to clear his head, Edd smiled weakly at him. "And good morning to you too, Ed!"

"Whatever." Eddy growled, annoyed that his hair had been touched. He knew he would probably have to add some more gel during lunch period, or just skip math all together to do it. Yet his scowl completely disappeared as he remembered what he had wanted to show Ed and Double D. Grabbing them both by the arms, he led them toward his house.

"But Eddy, school is the other way-"Double D began, only for Eddy to cut him off.

"Relax SockHead, we got plenty of time. There's something I want to show you first!" With that, Eddy led them away.

"So? Whaddya think? I gotta say, I think I outdid myself this time!"

Ed and Double D were standing before Eddy, who himself was perched on a giant tire. There were four of them leaning against his house, with gold rims that had dollar signs ingrained onto them. As if they weren't tacky enough, the rims themselves were spin-able. Ed was having a grand old time watching Eddy spin one, watching the dollar sign go round and round and round.

"It's just like the transporter from _Revenge of the Space Monsters!"_ Ed laughed as he stood memorized before the tire.

Double D let out a sigh, followed by a face palm. "I'm surrounded by idiots" he grumbled to himself.

Eddy didn't take any notice as he self-congratulated himself. "Aint they a beauty? I blew two months' worth of allowance on these puppies. Can you imagine how great they'd look on my new ride?"

Edd felt compelled to point out the obvious. "Eddy, we don't even have our full licenses yet, let alone cars. Besides, how can you be sure that these overly flashy tires will even fit your future vehicle?"

Eddy just waved him off, expecting Double D to be a killjoy. "Pffffft, no problem. The guy I brought these from said these were Canadian tires, one size fits all. Just add air".

Double D just stared at Eddy, mouth open. He had heard many stupid things from his friends before (mostly from Ed), but that last sentence had just cracked the top 5 list. Seeing how proud he looked, Edd decided to break the news to Eddy gently.

"Umm, Eddy I don't-"

Suddenly Ed came out of his trance, and happily shouted "Tick-tock my good fellows!" Eddy jumped off the tire he was perched on and started toward Rethink Avenue. "Good point, Lumpy. My folks will kill me if I get a detention on the first day of school. C'mon Double D".

Edd just stood there for a second as his friends walked away. With a sigh, he shook his head and followed after. _Canadian tires? Oh, Good Lord._

Marie Kanker sat sprawled on the old green coach of the trailer, ideally flipping through TV as she munched on a piece of toast. From the kitchen, she could hear her sisters having another argument, the fifth of the morning. _Geez, can't those two shut their traps for five freakin minutes?_

Grinding her teeth in annoyance, she continued to flip through the TV. Although now a teenager, she still had the same short blue hair that covered one side of her face. While she wasn't like May who wore the same outfit all the time, Marie mostly stuck to her trademarks: tank tops or shirts with the sleeves ripped off, usually black and often adored with some rock group or some other graphic of punk culture. Like when she was a kid, she still preferred BDU paints and flat top shoes. A recent addition to her ensemble was a spiked choker collar. Like always, Marie was not shy about showing any midriff: as she got older, the amount she showed seemed to increase.

"Hey Marie! Who took the last slice of toast?" Lee's shrill voice called from the kitchen.

"Who the hell do ya think, stupid?" Marie shouted back, unperturbed.

Lee stuck her head into the living room, a scowl covering her features. She still wore her orange-red hair in a mess that covered both eyes. She had also grown very large, now a full head taller than Ed himself. Wearing a poka-dotted shirt and blue jeans, she advanced toward her younger sister.

"Didn't ya hear me when I tolda ya to keep your mits off my breakfast?" The tone in her voice was anything but friendly. Marie probably should have chosen her next words carefully, but being a Kanker, she didn't.

"Oh boo-hoo. Maybe if you didn't spend so much time on that mop of yours it wouldn't take you an hour to get your ass to the kitchen" Marie spat back, glaring at her sister.

The tension was thick. Marie knew better than anyone that antagonizing Lee was a HUGE mistake, but again being a Kanker meant never backing down. Yet thankfully Lee was either too tired or not in the mood for a fight, so she just turned away and snorted. "Maybe if you actually DID something with your hair you'd be able to catch that man of yours"

At the mention of Edd, Marie's eyes blazed, but before she could respond May interrupted. "Did somebody mention the Eds?"

"Shut your trap, May!" Marie snarled, before turning back toward Lee. Yet Lee was already heading out the door, snickering at the fact that she still knew how to press Marie's buttons. "C'mon girls, lets shove out".

Both Marie and May were a bit stunned: Lee was hardly one to even attend school, never mind get there _early._ Momentarily forgetting her anger, Marie regarded her sister with a raised eyebrow.

"You hit your head or something? Why would we wanna go to that crap-hole _early?"_

Lee sent her sisters an evil smile. "Well, you know what they say girls. Gotta start the year off right. And I've just been _dying_ to see those boyfriends of ours"

At the mention of the Eds, May jumped up with excitement. Between the three of them, Ed was the one who was most terrified of his "girlfriend". As a result, he had spent his summer being careful to avoid May as much as possible. Yet being in school made such a task a great deal more difficult.

With a sly grin, Marie shut the TV off and grabbed her backpack. It had been a full weak and a half since she last saw her Double Dreamboat, pelting him with water balloons as he was walking through the lane. The look on his face had been priceless.

As the Kankers walked out of their trailer, Marie couldn't keep the wicked smirk off her face. _This is gonna be great._


	2. School

**Flashback continued.**

Peach Creek High was located not that far from the junior high, thus making it an easy walk for everyone in the cul-de-sac. Walking into the school, the Ed's found the rest of their peers in the cafeteria, eating a quick breakfast or talking. After the incident with the unnamed scam that culminated with the gruesome encounter with Eddy's jerk of a brother, the Ed's had finally been socially accepted by their peers. Eddy had finally stopped scamming, and as a result everyone got along reasonable well with each other, most days. Still, to suggest that everyone was best friends would be a bit of a stretch. Teenagers flirt, fight, love, and hate each other from one instance to the next: The residents of the cul-de-sac were no different.

Jonny "2 x 4" had changed the least, both in terms of appearance and personality. He still had worn his usual white t-shirt, jeans, and sandals. He kept his hair short with a crew cut style haircut. Overall, Jonny was pretty friendly toward everyone, although he wasn't the biggest fan of Eddy's. Part of this stemmed from the fact that, after the "incident" with Eddy's brother, all the other kids had ganged up on him when he tried to punish the Ed's for their horrible scam. It had taken a full year before Edd was able to negotiate a peace with Jonny, or rather his alter-ego "The Gourd".

The one thing that had changed was that Jonny no longer carried Plank around. He had outgrown his imaginary friend years ago, although Plank still sat in his room, much like a favorite childhood toy that is now used for decoration.

Nazz had grown her hair out a bit, and was slightly taller too. Like always, she was always the most fashionably dressed, keeping up with pop culture trends. She was still friendly, level headed (most times), and had a good relationship with Ed, Double D, Rolf, and Eddy. She was a bit protective of her cheerleading (once yelling at Eddy when he snickered "That's not a sport"), but was still considered to be the most mature of the cul-de-sac residents.

That said, Nazz and Kevin had a strange relationship that could only be described as "complicated". In freshmen year, they went out on a few dates, but never made it official. That said, they hung out a lot, and got noticeable jealous when the other flirted/was flirted with by members of the opposite sex.

Deep down, Nazz wished Kevin _would_ just ask her out. For his part, Kevin wanted to himself, yet was too nervous to do so. Another part of him also felt that being steady with one girl would hurt his "cool guy" image.

Kevin was the first to notice the Ed's, and gave them a wry smile. Over the years, he had grown to be quite muscular, a true athlete in every sense of the word. Yet his height really hadn't taken off like the others, making him roughly the same size as Eddy.

"Well if it isn't dumb, dumber, and dumbest. How's it hanging _dorks?_ " Unlike when they were kids, Kevin used the term in a friendly fashion, a sort of pet name as it were. Eddy gave him a high-five, and responded in kind. "Hey their Shovel Head, how's it hanging?"

Although they were on good terms, Eddy and Kevin still had a friendly rivalry (that often turned less than friendly). Part of this stemmed from their egos, which literally knew no bounds. They often worked to outdo each other in an attempt hog the spotlight.

While both of them were on the football and lacrosse team, Eddy wasn't nearly as talented as Kevin (nor did he put in a fraction of the effort). Furthermore, though Kevin wasn't exactly a model student, he sucked up to his teachers enough to get, if not good grades, then a considerable amount of leeway. Eddy, on the other hand, was widely regarded as public enemy number 1 to most of the faculty. This was due to the fact that Eddy had bestowed upon himself the title of Pranker Prince, and made it his mission in life to be voted "class clown" every year. His antics usually got him into detention.

It was then that Rolf walked over, eyes downcast and sad. He was extremely tall now, though still an inch shorter then Ed. Years of working on his parent's backyard farm had made him well built and strong, though again not as strong as Ed His English had improved somewhat, yet he still had a habit of using peculiar words and referring to himself in third person.

"Good day Ed boys. Today we return once again to the institution of torment, where we shall be crushed once again" he said sadly. Rolf's aversion to school was well known, yet Edd couldn't phantom it.

"Rolf, surely you can't really think that? After all, school is a place of-"

"Hiya booooooooys!"

The ensemble of the three voices stopped Double D in his tracks. Wiping around, he saw three all too familiar figures advancing. His heart started pounding in terror. Only one word could describe the feeling of dread that was growing in his chest.

 _Kankers._

Ed and Eddy had seen them too, and were experiencing similar reactions. Ed's was the most extreme: with wide eyes, he shouted "KANKERS!" and dove behind Kevin for protection, shaking uncontrollably. Although much less dramatic, Eddy's brow began to glisten slightly as he saw his mortal foes approach. With a mixture of irritability and concern, he growled a single word.

"Crap."

Over the years, the relationship between the Eds and the Kankers had also changed. Somewhat. After middle school, May, Marie and Lee had abandoned the use of kisses as their weapon of choice (except for May, but she hardly could catch Ed these days). Instead, they used pranks, intimidation, and fear to strike their victims. It was common knowledge in the school that one did not mess with the Kankers. No one was safe from their wrath.

As always however, their number one targets were the Eds.

As it was, Double D was probably the best off in regards to the Kankers. Marie's antics, such as the water balloons, were juvenile to say the least, but she didn't seem to possess the obsessive qualities of May or the vindictive traits of Lee. On most days, she was content just to flirt with Edd, her way of getting kicks out of his discomfort.

Grudgingly, Edd also had to admit that of the three of them, Marie was the most attractive, or so he thought. Not that one ever said such things aloud.

Sadly, Eddy was probably the worst off of the three. Honestly, Edd wasn't sure if Lee still liked him or not. She did have an active dating life after all, even if none of her "relationships" lasted more than a week. Yet for some reason she seemed to still have a found spot for Eddy, which of course was a constant nightmare for him.

Starring down at the smallest Ed, Lee came over and started to pat him on the head. "Aaaaw, no flowers shorty? What kind of man forgets to buy a gift for his girlfriend?" Both Marie and May snickered in agreement.

Eddy pushed her hand away, genuinely mad now. Pointing a finger up at her, he snapped, "I AM NOT SHORT!"

Lee giggled wickedly, a devilish smile spreading across her lips. Just then, the warning bell rang, singling the start of the day. Turning away, the three sisters cackled as they headed toward class.

"See you later, boys" Lee declared.

"It's a date!" May kissed to Ed.

"See ya soon, _Dreamboat"_ Marie winked at Edd.

As he watched them walk away, Double D couldn't help but feel even _more_ worried. "Well", he said meekly, "Glad to see things are back to normal".

As he had made his way to his first period class, Edd had tried to convince himself that everything would be alright. Science was after all one of his favorite subjects, and he wouldn't have to worry about any Kankers bothering him there. Yet when he walked into the room and found a blue haired girl already seated, he felt a giant stone in his chest.

Things got worse when the teacher announced the lab partner pairings. For the entire school year, Double D was going to be stuck with Marie Kanker.

As he nervously made his way toward Marie (who of course was seated all the way in the back of the classroom) he saw that her trademark grin of mischief was plastered to her face. As Edd sat next to her, she coyly whispered to him, "This is going to be fun year, don't ya think _Oven Mitt_?"

Edd had a nervous gulp, which made Marie snicker. "You're sooo cute when you're nervous Dreamboat".

Edd resisted the urge to softly bang his head against the table.

The class itself turned out to be highly uneventful, with the teacher just droning on about the syllabus. Yet Edd couldn't stop sweating as he sent quick glances at Marie, hoping beyond hope that she wasn't going to try anything. Whenever she caught his glance, Marie would send Double D a smirk, but otherwise she just doodled on the table, completely ignoring the teacher. When the bell finally ended, Edd couldn't leave fast enough.

Yet as he jumped up, he felt a hand on his shoulder which gently pulled him back down to his seat. "M-Marie, I-I'm afraid that I-I _really_ m-m-must be head-heading-"Double D stuttered uncontrollably. Yet Marie continued to gently hold him down. Leaning forward, she began to inch closer to his face. _NONONONONO!_ Double D thought to himself. It had been years since the Kankers had kissed the Eds: although they continued to flirt, this was more to make the boys feel uncomfortable than anything else. Yet as Marie drew closer to him, Edd's stomach started to do cartwheels. _Please please please PLEASE not again….._

As he was walking out of the class, Johnny had noticed what was happening in the back of the room. Snickering, he had elbowed Rolf, who turned to see for himself. As they walked out, Johnny let out a wolf whistle while Rolf winked and gave Double D a quick thumbs up. Edds face turned an even brighter red then his shirt.

Yet Marie didn't kiss him. Instead she simply whispered to him, her lips so close that they almost touched his ear. Being this close to her, Edd couldn't help but notice that, well, he found Marie a bit less frightening then when they were kids. He caught a scent of her hair, which he found had a surprisingly pleasant smell. For some reason her perfume made his heart beat a bit…..faster.

 _Wait, what?_

"So, did ya miss me sweetheart?" Marie's voice was dripping with coyness.

Edd stammered, "W-w-ell I did j-j-ust see you l-last week. I b-b-believe you hit me with a w-water balloon."

Marie laughed. "Hey, it was so hot outside, I just wanted to cool my man off" she said with mock innocence.

"My, how considerate of you". Edd said dryly. Marie smiled: over the years, Edd had lost most of his nervousness around girls (well except her). He also had developed a bit of a wry sense of humor, which was usually his way of showing displeasure at any given situation. That said, he was never nasty, nor did he ever try to make anyone feel bad. It was one reason why she loved him so much.

"Awww, my boyfriend thinks I'm considerate. How _cute_." She snickered as his face lit up. "I am considerate, aren't I? I mean, we went an entire period and I haven't done _nuthin._ Yet." Her eyes twinkled as she spoke.

Edd looked at her, unsure how to react. He realized with surprise that she had refrained from any of her usual pranks. Yet she did just admit to be planning something. Still, she was his lab partner, and he was stuck with her for the year. _Might as well make the best of it, Eddward. Besides, Marie can, on occasion, be reasoned with_.

"I- t-thank you for the c-c-consideration M-Marie. M-May I s-s-suggest that we put aside our d-d-differences and re-refrain from any tomfoolery during t-this period? We a-a-re lab partners after all. M-M-might as well try to get a-along".

Edd started to sweat as he saw her one visible eyebrow shoot up. _Oh….crap_. Thinking he might have gone too far, be braced himself for Marie's outburst. To his surprise, she just smiled.

"Alright, Double D. No promises, but I'll cut you _some_ slack. Besides, I have a brainiac as a lab partner. That's gotta be worth 10 points on a test at least. Just don't let it go to your head." She finished the sentence with a wink. She then leaned closer to him again, her lips nearly touching his ear again.

"See ya later Sweetie" Marie purred. With her trademark grin of mischief, she got up and left. Edd could feel his ear gently tingling, although he had no idea why.

Edd had made it out of class unscathed. Marie had been, for her standards, nice. And he was still sitting here, mulling everything over.

 _Ummm…what just happened?_ Edd wondered quietly.

Although Marie decided to wait before having a little bit of "fun", her sisters did not have such patience. Ed was the first victim. During a break, the happy Ed had gone to his locker, intent on reading the latest issue of _I Was a Mutant Sandwich_. Yet when he opened his locker, he found that his backpack was gone.

"Umm….backpack?" Ed asked his locker. He began rummaging through his locker, finding old comics, empty soda cans, and a moldy slice of buttered toast (he put that in his pocket for later). He even took off his trademark green jacket and began shaking it to see if his backpack had jumped into his pocket when he wasn't looking. But still, there was nothing.

"Hey Big Ed….."

The voice of May Kanker reached Ed from down the hall. He looked up, with terror. "AHH! Keep back foul matron of make out!"

May simply giggled. She was leaning next to the door of the girl's bathroom, holding something in her hand. It took Ed a second to figure out what it was….

"Oh, no! Backpack!" Ed cried out. With a wicked grin, May casually opened the door to the girl's bathroom. "Looking for this? I'll trade ya a kiss for it" she snickered.

"Never!" Ed said defiantly

With a shrug, May casually tossed his backpack into the bathroom, walking away as the door slowly closed. She blew him a kiss, "Later lamb-chop….." and disappeared around a corner.

Frantically, Ed ran up toward the door's bathroom, stopping short just at its door. In distress, he dropped to his knees. "Backpack!" he shouted. "You're trapped in the realm of the yucky girl germs!"

With a sob, Ed let out a scream that was heard by all.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

By the time lunch had rolled around, Eddy was paranoid. He had heard from Double D his misfortune in lab partners, and had literally heard (like everyone else in the school) Ed wail after his encounter with May. Yet Eddy knew that both his friends had gotten off easily: it was _his_ Kanker that was the truly terrifying one. Although Marie looked ready to sock anyone who so much as glanced at her funny, everyone knew Lee was the one actually gave out five finger sandwiches on a liberal basis. It was a well-known fact of the high school: of all the Kankers, Lee was the one to avoid like the plague.

 _Just my luck. My stalker happens to be the most psychotic of the trailer brigade,_ Eddy silently grumbled. Still, he really wasn't all that surprised. He was after all the most handsome, funniest, coolest, charming, likeable guy in town…

After picking up his lunch (just a tray of French fries), Eddy nervously approached the condiments counter. Looking around, all he saw was Kevin and Nazz flirting, Ed crying over his backpack, and Jonny cleaning his ear with a q-tip. No Lee anywhere.

Starting to relax, Eddy positioned his tray underneath the ketchup dispenser. Laughing to himself, he said "Holy crap sexy, you're losing it. Acting all nervous, and for what? You can handle a Kanker." Eddy smiled, his bravado returning. "God, I sound like Double D…."

Eddy hit the top of the dispenser, expecting a small stream of ketchup to slash onto his fries. What he got instead was a massive explosion that completely covered his shirt, splashed his face, and turned his lunch into an inedible pile of sloop.

"SON OF A B-" Eddy exploded, only to be cut off from a snicker.

"Aaaaaw, would ya look at that? Baby Eddy's made a mess. Want me to find you a bib?"

Eddy twirled around to face Lee, so angry he could feel his face turning several shades of red. "YOU!" He spat at her accusingly, which only reacted even more laughter from the oldest sister.

Pinching hic cheek like a baby, Lee walked off, giving a last parting shot at her humiliated target. "Be seein' ya Eddy. Try and clean yourself up, will ya? Don't want my man looking like a slob"

All around the cafeteria, the kids were snickering at Eddy, with the exception of Ed. "Will you looky over there? I wish I would wear ketchup like that" he sulked.

Eddy gritted his teeth, feeling his anger boil even more and more. With some strain, he managed to produce the three words that almost everyone felt.

"I. HATE. Kankers".

Double D was exhausted by the time school was over. He knew better then to expect Marie to leave him alone, especially after what happened to Ed and Eddy. He had another class with her, history, and the fact that she hadn't tried anything yet made him even more nervous.

 _Oh, curses. Why does this happen to me? I've been an outstanding citizen, never intentionally hurting others, always following the laws._ Yet as Edd reached his locker, another thought crept into his mind, a thought that he had been trying to suppress the entire day.

While Marie has leaned in to whisper to him, he had been scared as natural. But there was something else. It wasn't fear that had made his heart beat faster, nor leave his ear tingling. It was like whenever he was a kid and Nazz would walk by. _Good lord, did I just compare Marie Kanker to Nazz….?_

His thoughts were cut short however, for as soon as he opened his locker, hundreds of spring loaded snakes flew out in everyone direction, taking Edd completely off guard. With a shout, he fell backwards, landing on the floor with a thud. His heart was practically in his throat.

Walking over, Marie smiled as she expected her handiwork. She was casually chewing gum as she looked down at Double D, who had a dazed look on his face,

"Shit Double D. You really scream like a girl, you know that?" She smiled impishly.

Still in shock, Edd responded in small voice as he meekly raised a finger. "There's no need for such coarse language, thank you."

She smiled. No matter what happened to him, Edd still had his principles. You had to admire a guy like that. "Hey, like I said Double D: outside science, it's open season".

Edd looked up at her with a mixture of exasperation and mild annoyance. Dryly, he said, "How marvelous".

Marie giggled as she bent down to at Edd on the head. "You're so adorable when you use big words, Dreamboat" she said with a pop of a bubble. Spitting the gum onto the nearest locker, she gave Edd a final wink.

"Later _sweetie_ " she chirped and casually walked away.

As she did, Kevin casually came over to Double D, quickly glancing at him and Marie. He couldn't help but think that Marie was pretty cute; everyone guy in the school agreed, but had enough sense to keep such thoughts to themselves. Bending down, he patted Edd on the shoulder.

"Damn, Double D. You got yourself a feisty one. Lucky dork". With that, Kevin walked away, contemplating how Edd seemed to be making more progress with his girl then he was with Nazz. Edd just lay there, covered with the toy snakes.

 _What a day_ he thought numbly.

The three Ed's were not in the best of moods as they got back to the cul-de-sac. Ed had never retrieved his backpack, fearing that the girly germs would never be able to wash out. Edd was simply exhausted, the adrenaline rush of Marie's surprise attack having finally run off. Yet Eddy was still in a foul mood. His shirt was completely ruined, and he still had some dried ketchup stuck in his hair.

Yet as soon as the Ed's walked to his house, his mood got even worse.

"Hey-WHAT THE?! Where's my tires?!"

The tires were gone, leaving nothing but an indentation in the ground where they had been. Edd had thought keeping the tires outside had been stupid to begin with, but then again he couldn't imagine anyone who would want to steal such ugly monstrosities. He noticed that there was a note on the ground. Bending to inspect it, he called over to Eddy. "Eddy, there appears to be-"

Eddy ran over and shoved Double D out of the way. Grabbing the note, he read it frantically. Then he read it again. Then in a rage he tore it in half.

Edd, who had regained his composure, shot Eddy an angry glance. "Really Eddy, there is no reason to be rude!" Yet Eddy payed him no mind. His face was turning beat red with anger; Edd could have sworn that steam was about to come out of Eddy's ears.

Ed noticed it too, and pointed it out in his own way. "I think Eddy's teacup is boiling, Double D".

Edd saw the discarded note on the floor, and picked it up. It was quite easy to make out the writing, even if it was ripped in half. Yet as soon as he read it, his blood went cold.

It read: _"Nice wheels squirt! I think we'll just hold onto these. C'mon down to the junkyard if you want 'em. Xoxo Lee, Marie, and May_ ".

Edd noticed that the note only had one set of handwriting, Lee's most likely. Turning to Eddy, he saw that his friend had thrown caution to the wind and was about to make a very rash decision. "C'mon", he growled before stomping off.

With dread, Edd knew that Eddy was about to confront the Kankers. Although it was pointless, he tried to reason with him.

"Eddy, please stop! Surely by now you've realized the consequences of going up against the Kanker sisters!"

 **End flashback**


	3. The Battle at the Junkyard

Marie lay on the hood of the old retro van, scowling up in the sky. Lee was inside sitting in the driver's seat painting her nails; May was jumping around on the waterbed. Although the van was usually frequented by the Eds, the Kankers had learned of its existence themselves, having been lead there by a giant star some many Christmas's ago.

Angrily, Marie reached out and banged against the windshield to get Lee's attention. Seeing her sister look up, she angrily asked "What the hell are we doing here stupid"?

"Ah quit yer yapping. Don't you wanna spend some quality time with those boyfriends of ours?" Lee asked as she went back to painting her nails. Inside, May put her own two cents into the conversation.

"Yeah Marie, it'll be fun!"

Rolling her eyes, Marie leaned back against the hood. _Idiots_.

Although she loved messing with Double D, the truth of the matter was that Marie had grown up a bit in recent years. While no one really associated the words _grown up_ with the Kankers, it was still the truth. She didn't feel the need to constantly torment the boys, unlike Lee and, to a lesser degree, May. Sure, she still got a kick messing with Double D, she had other things to do with her life other. She no longer had the need to utterly torture the man.

Sadly, the same couldn't be said about Lee. Over the years, the oldest Kanker had become the most similar to their mother, in terms of life choices. She was frequently out half the night, dated dumbasses just to boss around (although such relationships had the average life span of a week), and was lucky if she made it to school three times in a week. Furthermore, she had become MUCH bossier, although her sisters were never ones to follow blindly to begin with.

May was relatively the same. She was considered the nicest of the trio, but still struck fear into the hearts of all (except Jonny, who really only feared Lee. Though he did dislike all three). She chased Ed like when they were kids, and often tried to kiss him.

Marie was, for lack of a better word, the most level headed of them. She had gone on some dates, even had a brief relationship or two. Yet she had time of day for jerks, and had kicked them to the curb without hesitation. She wasn't like Lee who kept them hanging on for fun. Nor was she May, who still believed that one day the Eds would magically fall for them.

Marie was many things: she came off a bit full of herself, was easily bored, extremely crafty, and was totally unafraid to speak her mind. Yet above all, she was realistic: she liked Double D a lot, and even got a kick out of making him flustered. But she knew full well the feeling wasn't mutual. Yet that didn't mean she had to constantly make his life a living hell

 _Well, can't make life TOO boring, now can we?_ Her trademark smile spread across her face. Unlike her sisters, Marie actually had 2 classes with "her man". There would be plenty of time to mess with Double D all year. No need to spend her free time in some stupid dump in an attempt to further antagonize the Ed.

And yet, that was exactly what she was doing, curtesy of Lee. Marie felt her lip curl in irritation.

From inside the van, May let out a girly giggle. "This thing is so fun! Why don't we come more often?"

Marie rolled her eyes. "We _live_ in a dump stupid. Why the hell should we spend our time in another one?"

Suddenly, Lee saw Ed, Edd and Eddy round a corner. Smiling like a wolf, she said "Quiet girls. It's showtime".

It hadn't taken the Eds long to find the Kankers. Edd had figured that they would have been at the old van, Lee knowing that it was a favorite of Eddy's. In a last ditch effort, Edd tried to pacify his friend, "Eddy, surely we can work out a deal to get your tires back!"

Eddy rounded on him. "No deals sockhead! Not this time! We've been putting up with this crap for years! It ends today!" Ed was grabbing onto his shoulder, trying desperately to stop Eddy from advancing, but it was no use.

Edd thought back on earlier, and how Marie had granted him a respite, of sorts. Granted, she had still had her "fun", but it did show that the Kankers, (or Marie anyway) could be _reasoned_ with. Somewhat. He also remembered how their antics were now juvenile more than anything. (With the exception of Lee). It was a long shot, but Edd truly believed diplomacy was the best option.

"Eddy, be reasonable! I'm sure that we could find some common ground-"

Yet it was no use. Eddy continued his march until he was right in front of the retro van. By now, the Kankers had gotten out and were regarding the Eds, coy smiles on their faces.

Edd noticed, a bit to his surprise, that unlike Lee and May, Marie's smile seemed to be a tad forced.

It was like an old western, with each Ed facing his corresponding Kanker. Ed was shaking uncontrollably, Edd was starting to sweat profusely, while Eddy continued his angry glare. Lee was the first one to speak, "Awww, aint they so adorable when their upset, girls?"

That was it. May jumped up and ran toward Ed, shouting "Give us a kiss, Lamp chop!"

In a heartbeat, Ed was off, bolting in terror. "I am not Lamb chop! I Am Ed!" He shouted before disappearing behind a corner.

That left Edd and Eddy. Turning toward Lee, they saw that she was snickering uncontrollably. That was it: with a snarl, Eddy shouted at her, "Where the hell are my tires, trailer trash?!"

Edd gasped, fully aware of the horrible mistake Eddy had just made. By the look on his face, he reckoned that Eddy realized it too, but it was all too late.

"What da hell you just call me, _pipsqueak?!"_ She asked, her voice raising several octanes. The fake flirt was gone, replaced by a blood curling anger. Ever since they were kids, Lee had grown to be much more threatening and short fused. It didn't take much of anything to set her off, and woe be on to the person who did.

As Ed had once put it, Eddy was _about to learn a life lesson he was sure not to forget._

Nervously, Eddy backed up a couple of steps, "Umm, errr, w-what I meant was", the sound of Lee cracking her knuckles made him stop talking. With a final gulp, he turned tailed and ran, shouting at Edd, "Ruuun Sock Head!" Lee ran past Edd, intent on catching her victim, "Where ya going, _Romeo?"_ she asked with a steel voice. Eventually, both disappeared from sight.

With a start, Edd realized that he was alone. With Marie. With a sly grin, she walked toward him, prompting Edd to back up.

"N-now j-just one second M-Marie." Inwardly, Edd cursed his stuttering: Kankers could smell fear. "Don't y-you think we've had q-qu-quite enough childish p-p-pranks for one d-d-day?"

 _Aww, I'm making him nervous. How cute._ Marie favored Double D with a gasp of mock shock. "Double D! You mean you didn't like my little gift earlier?" Seeing how Edd was on the verge of a full breakdown, she continued. "Oooh Pumpkin! I'm sooooooo _**sorry.**_ Why don't we kiss and make up?"

Edd knew Marie wouldn't really kiss him: yet he had no intention of finding out what she really had in store. He bolted, running as fast as he could. From experience, Marie knew that Edd's full speed was barely more than that of a powerwalk, so she casually followed him.

With a wicked grin, Marie said, "Game on, Oven Mitt."

Edd didn't need to look behind him to know Marie was gaining. Physical excursion was never his strong suite; his doom was all but assured. Rounding a mound of trash, he quickly looked behind him to check if he could still see Marie. By doing so, he failed to see the old engine that was right in his path.

Too late, he tripped and went sailing, landing in a mud filled depression several feet away. _Ouch….._

Warily, he tried to get up, but slipped and feel back into the filth, landing on his caboose. Normally, Edd would have freaked out after landing in such a slime hole, but he was surprisingly calm. As it was, Double D was simply top exhausted at this point to care.

 _I should have_ _ **INSISTIED**_ _to Eddy that we take another course of action. Willingly walking_ _ **toward**_ _the Kankers? What were we thinking! Curse my timid disposition!_ Edd knew that he really didn't have anyone to blame for this mess but himself. No one had forced him to go to the junkyard. And now here he was, covered in only god knew what.

Looking down, Edd saw this his favorite tie was completely mud stained and soaked through. "Oh, look: my favorite tie ruined. Perfect way to end the day Eddward" he noted with dry sarcasm. He was so tired that he didn't notice the figure standing right behind him.

When Marie found Edd covered with mud, she had almost laughed out loud. Yet as she got closer, she saw that the teenager wasn't freaking out as he normally would. Instead, he just sat there, with a world weary gaze plastered to his face. If they had been younger, this would have been the point when Marie went for the kill, but not this time.

As she looked at Edd, she couldn't help but feel…..guilty. _The hell? Guilty? Me?_ Marie knew that it was the truth however.

Earlier, Marie had had her fill of fun. The look on Edd's face when he opened his locker had been priceless. But that was supposed to be it. She never meant to go another round in making him uncomfortable. Yet here he was, laying in a pool of mud, noticing that his tie, his **favorite** tie, was ruined. Marie realized that everything had finally went a bit too far.

 _Way to go, moron._ Silently, she tried to blame Lee and May, but she knew deep down this was as much her fault as theirs.

Edd noticed Marie standing over him, and the fear suddenly found him again. He tried to form a coherent sentence, but couldn't. "N-Now Mar-M-Marie, su-sure-ly you-you, I mean, umm…." Edd knew it was useless. Marie Kanker had got him again.

Yet when Marie came closer, he saw that there was no smirk on her face. She was not giggling, nor did she looked at all amused. If anything, she looked concerned and…guilty? Marie Kanker? Guilty? _Concerned?_

Kneeling down to his level, she offered her hand to him. Edd tried to read her expression, but she had put on a blank mask. He stupidly just sat there, staring at her hand. A bit of Marie's usual Kanker slipped through, for she raised an eyebrow asked him, "You waiting for a special invite or something? Or you just wanna sit there?"

That shook Edd back to his senses. Grasping Marie's hand, he said "Y-yes. Th-Tha- you". As Marie helped him up however, Edd slipped again, taking her down with him. They splashed down in the mud, Marie landing on top of Edd. For a second they flailed about, Edd horrified that he had inadvertently caused a girl to fall into a giant puddle of mud.

"Oh good Lord! Marie, I'm terribly sorry!" Despite everything, Edd was still a gentlemen: he didn't have a mean bone in his body. Seeing how he had dragged Marie into the mud, when she had been trying to help, made him feel greatly distressed and guilty.

"Marie, are you alright?!"

"Just peachy" Marie replied without humor as she wiped a splash of mud out of her face. Although he had been expecting some angry outburst, Edd realized that there was no malice in her voice.

He was about to go on, offering another apology, but stopped when he realized something else. Marie was laying on _top_ of him, just inches from his face. He began to blush at the positions of their bodies, but his embarrassment died down as looked up at her.

For the first time, Edd really noticed Marie, and not just in a superficial way. In every way, Marie had grown, and it showed in her features. She was…..rather attractive. Adolescence had been quite kind to her, bestowing a slim figure that was striking from her head down to her toes.

With their faces only inches apart, he saw how one side of her face was perfectly covered by her hair, while the other side showed off her majestic hazel eyes. He also noticed her slight dusting of freckles, and how they seemed to compliment her blue eyeshadow.

For once, there was no witty remark from Marie. She didn't seem to have her customary arrogance, nor was she smirking coyly. If anything, the fall seemed to have knocked that out of her. As she was right now, she seemed almost…..gentle. Further remembering her earlier look of concern, Edd couldn't help but be confused.

This was Marie Kanker on top of him?

As he starred at her, Edd had flashbacks of the past, and the uncountable number of kisses she had bestowed upon him. A small part of him, tiny as it was, wondered if she would attempt to kiss him right now. Deep down, a part of him thought that such an event would not be unpleasant.

 _GOOD LORD EDDWARD! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING MAN?!_ And yet as he thought this, his legs were shaking and his heart was pounding, and none of it was from fear.

For her part, Marie was shocked by the sudden tumble. Although she wasn't afraid to get muddy, she still didn't particular like to be _covered_ in it. Yet her sudden shock quickly melted when she realized that she was on top of Edd, with her face barely an inch away from his. She noticed how his gaze looked soft and thoughtful. _The hell? Why is he looking at me like that?_

Starring at him, Marie noticed just how handsome he was. His childlike features were disappearing, being replaced by those of a man. A rather handsome man. She couldn't help but faintly blush as she realized just how close together they were. _C'mon Kanker. Stop acting like such a girlie_ she tried to reason with herself.

Yet as she looked down at Edd, she noticed his eyes. They were a deep brown, yet seemed to sparkle somehow. They were the eyes of kindness: even now, laying in the mud with a childhood tormentor, there wasn't a single ounce of hate in them. He actually looked concerned when she had fell. _Concerned? About me?_

With a sudden shock, that wasn't all she noticed.

Double D wasn't struggling. He wasn't stammering or making any attempt to get up. While his cheeks were slightly roses, Marie realized that they were simply the mirror of hers. She blinked once, trying to make sense of it all.

 _What the hell is going on here?_

Slowly, Marie moved closer to him. Unlike when they were kids, Edd's eyes didn't widen with terror. If anything, he simply was completely still, almost as if he was afraid any movement would ruin the moment.

Almost as if…..he _wanted_ the kiss. _He hit his head or something?_ She was unsure, yet slowly moved her face closer to his, overwhelmed by a wave of affection and desire. A desire to kiss him on the lips; a desire to give a _real_ kiss.

Truthfully, this never had been her intention when she started the day, yet when in Rome…..

Before their lips locked, Marie became aware of something else. Laying on top of Edd, she could feel just how "happy" he was by their current positions. This again took Marie back: she had always considered Edd to be attractive, but never knew if he thought the same about her (then again, who _didn't_ find her drop dead sexy?). Now though, it was pretty clear that she had her answer.

Suddenly getting mischievous, Marie gave Edd a wicked smile. Leaning up, she regarded him coyly. "Damn Double D. We're a little happy, aren't we?"

Edd looked up at her, unsure of what she meant. Suddenly, he realized exactly what was happening below his waist, and instantly went red. "Umm, eeerrr, ummmm, I-eeeeeh" Fumbling the words, Edd couldn't form a coherent sentence.

Marie giggled impishly "You're such a dork, Double D" she said as she slowly bent to kiss him. _He's so adorable when he flustered…._

Suddenly, a crash from behind her caused them both to jump. Ed had just run full speed into a pile of trash, sending assorted junk flying everywhere. Suddenly conscience of themselves, both Ed and Marie slowly got up and walked out of the mud pit. Edd went over to check on Ed, while Marie stood off to the side, cursing her luck. She had been _that_ close…..

After checking that Ed was ok, Edd turned nervously toward Marie. He was still trying to piece together just what happened between them, but saw her turn and walk back toward the retro van. He noted (with more disappointment then he cared to admit) that whatever moment they were having was gone. Ed could tell something was amiss and looked as Double D looked after Marie.

"Are you alright Double D?"

"Y-yes, well umm, y-yes, I think. Maybe" Edd shook himself back to the present and saw that Ed had a lipstick mark on one side of his face. "Ed, are you ok?!"

Ed's bottom lip began to tremble as he remembered the horror that had befallen him. Bursting out, he grabbed Double D. "It was horrible! Kanker got Ed bad Double D!"

Edd tried his best to placate his friend. "There, there Ed. It's, um, over now. Let's go find Eddy."

Walking back to the retro van, they found that the Kankers were gone. Eddy however was stuffed upside inside two of his monster tires, looking quite the worse for wear. To be honest, Edd was surprised Eddy was still in one piece: Lee wasn't known for being light with her beatings.

Seeing Eddy, Ed grabbed Double D and pointed. "Oh, look Double D! Eddy is a car!"

Before Edd could respond, Eddy snapped "Will someone get me out of here!"

After they had extracted Eddy, Edd saw that much of his clothes were bruised and slightly ripped. That said, he had no black eyes and his nose looked unbroken. Eddy, not wishing to go into it, simply growled "Don't ask" before instructing Ed to pick up the tires and bring them back to his place. As they left the junkyard, Edd couldn't help but notice the two tires were still missing.

"Eddy, what about the other two?"

An irritated look came over Eddy's face. "We'll get em later, after the deal is up".

"Deal?"

Not looking around at Edd, Eddy mumbled, "We get two back now, and in exchange we each wash the Kankers laundry for a while.

Edd jumped up in alarm. Laundry?! _Kankers?!_ He couldn't even imagine what that might entail. "Surely you can't be serious! For how long are we expected to do this?!"

Eddy sighed sadly. "Two months". Seeing the look of outrage from Double D and horror from Ed, he elaborated. "Hey! It was either that, or a Kanker trashing! Lucky for me Lee finds me cute enough to allow last minute negotiations". Eddy replied in a voice that was anything but jolly.

Seeing how Ed's attack was self-explanatory, Eddy turned to Double D. "So Marie got you good, huh?"

The memory of what transpired made Edd go beat read. "Um…..yes. One might say that…"

Although it was clear Edd was holding something back, Eddy was too tired to notice. All he could think about was his payback. Screw their "deal". Eddy was going to get his tires back.

Edd was lost in thought. He desperately racked his brain trying to find an explanation as to what happened between Marie and him. He couldn't

That night, Edd wasn't the only one lost in thought. Marie herself was trying to sort through everything, and having equally bad luck. _The hell is going on? Was Edd….did he want me to kiss him?_

Marie had given up on the idea that Edd and she would ever become an "item". It sucked at first, but she had learned to get over it. She figured if she was lucky, her and Double D would go to a party, get massively drunk, and then find some dark corner to make out. Maybe even second base. But that was it. Sure, it wouldn't had been some stupid fairy tale romance, but it would have been something she could deal with.

Now….she wasn't so sure if that's what she really wanted.


	4. An Unexpected Encounter

The next day

As his alarm clock blared, Edd let out a long sigh. He had experienced a terrible night, not getting to sleep until very late. After their junkyard encounter with the Kankers, Edd had taken a long shower in an effort to get all the mud off. He had than sat at his desk in an attempt to get some homework done. Seeing how yesterday the first day of school was, he didn't really have much, and normally it would have taken him no time at all to get through it. Yet whenever he attempted to open his books, his mind would drift off, thinking of something else.

Or rather, someone else.

Edd hadn't told Ed or Eddy what had happened between Marie and him, figuring that his friends would not understand. Not that he fully understood it himself.

As he starred at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, Edd tried to make sense of it all. "Come now, Eddward, you surely weren't serious. This is MARIE KANKER we're talking about. A woman who has spent years tormenting you, chasing you, and treating you as an object. There is NO WAY you were hoping for a kiss. I mean, not from HER".

It dawned on Edd that he had been talking out loud to himself, which prompted him to roll his eyes. "Great. Now I'm talking to myself. I must be going crazy, or turning into Ed".

As he walked down the stairs toward the kitchen, Edd was still grappling with his emotions. Surely he wasn't developing…..feelings for Marie? That would have been all wrong. Criminal even. While he supposed that she was a rather, well VERY, attractive young woman, that couldn't mean that his opinion of her was beginning to change. Simply because she had showed him some kindness? Impossible.

And yet, Edd couldn't help but remember her eyes, and how serene they looked. He couldn't forget how much emotion seemed to be swirling behind them.

Suddenly, a though occurred to him, providing some welcome relief. _Aha! Of course, how could I be so silly?_ He smiled, finally having found inner peace. _Hormones! That's it! What I felt for Marie yesterday was nothing more than the typical amours angsts of adolescence._

Edd may not be, as Eddy coined it, a "chick magnet", but he still wasn't a stranger to the opposite sex. Unlike Ed, who fiercely held on to a childhood fear of cooties, Edd had been on several dates and even had a brief relationship last year He may have been more level headed, non-rowdy, and pragmatic then his peers, but Double D was still a teenager: he wasn't no monk.

Edd smiled to himself the more he thought about it: it all made perfect sense. Marie was, dare he admit it, quite cute, and he had been caught up in the moment. Nothing more. The shock of it all had simple gotten to him. Yep, that was it.

Feeling confident, he walked into the kitchen, sure that this turmoil was over. It was at that moment that another thought occurred to him, one that torpedoed his peace completely.

 _If it was just hormones Eddward, why are you remembering the way her freckles seem to dance across her cheeks? Why are you remembering the smell of her hair, and the way it perfectly curtains the right side of her face_? And then came the doozy, a question that Double D was truly not expecting.

 _If it was just simple hormones my dear Eddward, why are you still thinking of Marie Kanker?_

It was a question Double D had no answer for, although he sincerely wished he did.

Entering the kitchen, he saw that Ed and Eddy were mooching off his food, as usual. Ed was wearing jeans and his typical green jacket over a t-shirt. Eddy too had on jeans, but was wherein a long-sleeve t that he had picked up last year during a trip to the jawbreaker factory. He looked up at Edd with an arched eyebrow.

"Mournin' sleeping beauty, what's eating you?"

Trying to hide his contemplative mood, Edd quickly answered, "Good morning Eddy. What? Bothered? Me? Why nothing is bothering me! Why would you ask such a thing?" His reply was nervous and rushed, prompting Eddy to narrow his eyes at him. _What the hell is he uptight about?_

Suddenly, and without any explanation, Ed took his cereal bowl and turned it upside on top of his head. Spilling milk and cereal everywhere, he laughed without a care in the world. Edd and Eddy just stared at him, unable to believe what they were seeing.

Tentatively, Edd asked, "Ed, are you okay….?"

With his hallmark grin, Ed replied "Never better Double D!"

"Then, if I may ask, why did you put your cereal bowl over your head?"

"Just looking for sunken treasure!" Ed happily answered.

Eddy groaned and placed his head in both hands. "Let me know if you find a brain in there lumpy"

"Will do Eddy, but I doubt it!" Ed replied, oblivious, or uncaring, about Eddy's obvious insult.

Double D couldn't help but grin. Despite the rather unpleasantness of yesterday, Ed was back to his old self. He truly lived in the moment, never letting anything bring him down. It was a trait that Double D found himself envying from time to time. Suddenly, his mind flashed back to Marie, and he felt his checks start to warm again slightly.

 _I wish I shared Ed's mindset._

With a shake of his head, Eddy got up from the table. "Alright, let's bail before Ed gets lost under there". Although he hadn't even eaten breakfast, Edd followed his friends out the door.

As he was walking to science class, Edd was extremely nervous. He had no idea how Marie would be acting, and that scarred him more than anything. She was so damn unpredictable, even more so than her sisters. One minute she was her usual crafty self, then another she was unusually gentle, then back to the norm. It was like trying to understand the living embodiment of chaos.

To his relief and confusion however, Yet Marie never showed up for class. Seeing how she was his lab partner, Edd took detailed notes of the lesson to give to her later. He really didn't want to do it, yet he knew that their grades were now tied together to a large degree. Besides which, she was his partner: it was in his nature to be helpful, regardless of the individual.

As the bell rang, he numbly acknowledged the fact that although copying the notes for her was one thing, giving them to Marie would probably be something else entirely…..

Three periods later, Edd made his way through the empty hallways, on route to the cafeteria. He had stayed behind to ask a teacher some questions, so everyone was pretty much in their next class already. Rounding a corridor, he saw someone struggling with something unseen in a locker. He didn't think much of it until he noticed who the person was.

 _Oh DEAR!_ Ahead of him, Marie Kanker looked more pensive than usual. She hadn't noticed him yet, which would have allowed Edd to quickly turn around and take another route to lunch. Sweating profusely, he took two steps back before he inwardly kicked himself.

 _What's wrong with you man?! She's your lab partner: what are you going to do? Be like Ed and spend the entire year hiding in terror? You have her notes Eddward; you SIT next to her in class. One way or another, you'll have to face her eventually._

With a gulp, Edd put one foot in front of the other and walked toward Marie. Willingly. His heart was beating so fast that it could have served as the baseline to a bad electronic dance song. Inwardly, he was petrified.

"Stupid piece of sh-". Marie hadn't noticed Double D, being too busy trying to pry loose her sketchpad. The spiral rings had somehow gotten snagged on the coat hanger, and were giving her much more trouble than she could have thought possible.

The day had just started off bad. She wore up late to find her sisters already gone, apparently having shut the alarm clock off. Neither one had saw fit to wake Marie, so first period was long over by the time she had dragged herself to school. As a result, she had promptly earned herself an afterschool detention.

Even for her, getting busted on the second day of classes was a record. Yet that didn't make it suck any less.

Marie had convinced herself that, whatever happened between her and Edd yesterday had been a spur of the moment sort of thing. Although she was slightly disappointed, the realist within her had shrugged it off. Double D was an Ed, and they had made it clear **exactly** how they felt about the Kankers. Besides, relationships were so much _work._ Her mother had tried three times, and each one had failed in rather spectacular fashion. Marie wasn't sure if it was worth all the trouble. Or so she kept telling herself.

Still, she couldn't help but remember that spark they had yesterday, and the softness in Double D's eyes….

 _Holy crap Kanker! Get a grip!_

With great irritation, she finally realized that someone was standing nearby. Without even looking, she growled "Scram". She heard an audible gulp, but noticed that whoever it was hadn't moved. With a snarl, she rounded on them. "You got till the count of three before I-oh". Marie was surprised to see Edd standing before her, shaking like a leaf as usual.

Dropping the threat, her usual smile returned. "Aaaaaw, now isn't this cute. My Oven Mitt, waiting for me by the lockers like any real stud would. You miss me, _sweetie_?" She bit her lip seductively and leaned toward Edd, giggling as he automatically leaned back.

 _Curse your good nature, Edd._ "H-hello M-Marie. I, umm, took the, umm l-liberty of copying n-notes from…..today's…..l-l-lesson." Double D couldn't believe how much of an idiot he sounded, being barely able to string together a simple sentence. Based on the evil glint in her eye, he could tell Marie was enjoying this interaction immensely.

"Now you see, that's what I like in a man…..So _thoughtful"_ She impishly purred. Seeing how crimson Double D's face was getting, she let out another giggle. Fluttering her eyelash at him, she gently pried the notebook from his hand. Marie was tempted to give Edd a quick peck on the check, but decided against it. The ooor guy looked practically ready to wet himself.

Seeing how Marie was back to her old self, and sensing a rare opportunity to get away unscathed, Edd started to back away. "Y-Yes, w-well I –must be-of-off". Yet he noticed the inside of her locker, with the sketch pad horrible tangled. Following his gaze, Marie shrugged. "Yeah, stupid thing got caught" she said casually.

Maybe it was his upbringing as a gentleman that kicked in, or perhaps deep down Edd wanted to test something based on yesterday. Whatever the cause, Double D blurted out the words before fully thinking it through.

"May I try?"

Marie blinked in surprise, but shrugged indifferently. "Whatever. Knock yourself out".

Still in disbelief that he had said such a stupid thing, Edd anxiously approached Marie's locker. He was surprised to find that he kept it pretty orderly, with books and folders on one side and pencils, pens, markers, and paint brushes on another. _Curious, why does she have so many art utensils?_

Grabbing the spiral rings, he gently and expertly worked to clear them from the coat hanger, in sheer contrast to Marie's brute force method. Finally freeing the sketch pad, it fell to the floor with a smack. Edd rushed to pick it up, afraid that Marie would maul him at any second.

"Oh dear! I'm t-terribly sorry Marie!" Edd started to stutter again, yet stopped when he noticed the book. When it had fallen, her pad had opened up to a random page. As he looked, he saw that the page in question was covered with a pirate ship, being captioned by a skeletal figure with a saber in hand. With an eyepatch and spiked Mohawk, it struck the perfect balance between punk-chic and nautical captain.

The details, such as the Jolly Roger buttons on the skeleton's jacket and the foaming waves, were simply amazing: it was clear that Marie had put a lot of time and passion into the sketch.

Seeing Edd stare at the page made Marie suddenly feel defensive. Living around her sisters had made her feel protective of her own property, least they tried to put their grubby mits on it (to be fair, she had no qualms herself about touching their stuff though). With a slight edge in her voice, she went to reach for her sketchpad. "You done?"

But for once, Edd didn't shy away. "Marie, this is…..quite beautiful" he told her with a mixture of awe and astonishment.

The words stopped Marie in her tracks. _Beautiful?_ She had never heard anyone say that about her artwork before. Hell, hearing a compliment was itself shocking. Sure, teachers would occasionally make nice remarks, but she never paid much attention to those. But to hear it from someone, Edd no less, made her blush slightly.

"Oh, umm….thanks Double D" she said a bit cautiously, yet genuinely meaning it. Edd noticed that her voice had lost its normal edge. She sounded slightly guarded and even a bit flustered. What's more, Edd noticed that she had called him "Double D", instead of one of her own pseudo- romantic nicknames for him. Turning to face her, she saw that Marie's cheek was a bit red.

 _Did I just make Marie Kanker….blush? Is that even possible?_

He was about to give her back the sketchpad when he noticed something. The ship looked tantalizingly familiar, as if he had seen it before. Suddenly, it dawned on him: the pirate ship was an exact replica of the model ship that the Kankers had in their trailer.

"Marie, is this the ship inna bottle you and your sisters have?"

Shocked he even remembered the thing, Marie went over behind Double D. Without any intent on making him nervous she rested her chin on his shoulder so she could look at the page too. (There wasn't such a huge height difference between them) Edd grew slightly stiff (a reflex after all these years) but made no attempt to move away. This surprised him as much as it did Marie.

"Uh, yeah it is. I always loved that ship, used it as a base to draw that a whiles back. Honestly, I'm kinda surprised you still remember that thing". Although Edd had been over to the trailer numerous times in the past, she didn't think he had been observant enough to notice the ship.

Being this close to Marie made Double D's ears go red as he caught scent of her hair again, but still he made no move to get away. He didn't want to provoke her, knowing full well it wouldn't take much for Marie to revert to her usual self. Yet there was also something else. It dawned on Edd that for once Marie didn't sound arrogant, nor did she seem inclined to tease him.

For once, she seemed relatively calm.

Upon hearing her remarks, Edd's tone went a bit dry. "How could I forget it? If memory serves, you and your sisters demolished the entire cul-de-sac in your rampage to retrieve it".

The remark made Marie laugh, although it was without her usual sarcasm. "Hey! Who was the one who _stole_ our stuff in the first place, Einstein?"

Conceding the point, Edd nodded, "Well, Ed did. Although he was sleepwalking at the time and had no recollection of his misadventure."

Marie smirk morphed into a cat like grin. "Ya got that right, buster. Come to think of it, you three were the only ones who didn't get a taste of Kanker justice that day. _You're welcome_ by the way".

Edd couldn't help himself as small smile formed on his face. "I guess we were indeed lucky on that particular afternoon".

"Damn straight, egghead."

He couldn't believe that he was having a conversation with Marie, an actual _normal_ conversation. And it was…surprisingly pleasant. Suddenly it occurred to him that this was actually the longest, and indeed first, _real_ conversation they had ever had.

It also dawned on him that Marie was still resting on his shoulder. Feeling the weight of her head on his shoulder made his heart started to beat a mile a minute again, both out of anxious nerves and by the fact that a rather attractive girl was well within his personal space. Double D found himself promptly feeling self-conscience again.

Gently turning toward her, he handed her back her sketch pad. "Yes, w-well." _Why the hell am I starting to stutter?_ "I-I had no idea you liked art so m-much. T-then again, I can see why. Your very g-g-good at it".

 _Did I just give Marie a COMPLIMENT?!_ Edd thought in shock.

Marie was taken aback by it as well, although she tried to hide it. "Yeah, well, thanks. Art and shop are only things I'm good at really". Looking down, she scratched the back of her neck, unsure what else to say. She wasn't one for stupid small talk, but her conversation with Double D had been…well, rather nice.

Completely unexpected, but still nice.

Looking up, she stole a peek at him, she saw that he was getting all nervous again. Like a lion in the Serengeti, she sensed opportunity. As if a switch had been flipped, Marie started acting like her usual self.

With a wicked smile, she said, "Too bad I don't have a stud-muffin like you to tutor me Double D. I'm sure we could teach each other _**all sorts**_ of things."

Edd's face lit up so much he could have sworn it was glowing. With a nervous chuckle, he began to back away. "W-W-well as, um… _interesting_ as that sounds…..I-I myself don't need any, umm…..extracurricular assistance a-at this t-time. Quite the r-r-reverse actually. Uh, I myself –t-t-tutor s-students on oc-occas—sometimes…. As part of the m-mentoring program."

Wrong move. As soon as the words left his mouth, Edd the horrible mistake he had made. Her eyes wide with wicked excitement, Marie pounced on his gaffe.

" _Really?_ Well I could use some help with my homework Dreamboat. How's about a private lesson?" Marie had again leaned toward Double D, forcing him to press up against the lockers. "Well, what do ya say Sweatie?"

Seeing the look on his face, she impishly continued, "Come on, you wouldn't turn a girl down, now would ya?" Her mock pout was practically dancing with a frisky playfulness.

Edd tried to rack his brains, trying to find a way out of this. Unfortunately, all he could get out was "Umm, errr, W-Well, aaaaah, y-you see….." With an evil giggle, Marie planted a quick kiss on his check, shutting him up. 

"Great! I'll see you after school, Double _Dreamy"_. With that, Marie turned and walked away, practically skipping in anticipation for their "date". Alone in the hallway, Double D just stood there, cheek still tingling from Marie's peck.

"Umm….what happened?" He asked out despairingly, half hoping for a response. No one answered.

Little did Edd notice that throughout his conversation with Marie, there had been someone else watching from a distance. Rolf had been sulking toward his locker, upset that he had failed another typing test. It was a source of great embarrassment that after all this time, the son of a Shepard was still not proficient in the use of a keyboard.

Sadly, Rolf mumbled "Curse these strange New World customs. What use is there to learning to hit keys on a plastic board? Why, they are not even real keys!"

Continuing to sulk along, Rolf imagined what would happen when he got home. "Nanna will be most unhappy. I fear Rolf will again be forced to clean the chicken coop with the toothbrush". The sound of voices up ahead snapped him out of his self-pitying daze. Rounding a corner he saw Double D trying to help Marie Kanker to get something free from her locker.

Rolf knew that the brainy Ed boy spoked easily, and also knew from painful experience that the blue haired Kanker was quick to anger. He hung back, waiting for them to leave before passing.

To his amazement, he saw that their interaction was not a typical one. For once, Double D Edd boy seemed to be somewhat at ease with Marie as he admired her…penmanship? Artwork? Homework? (naa). At this distance, Rolf couldn't really tell. What he could tell was that the most devious of the Kankers seemed to open up to Edd ever so slightly as she relaxed her guard. Their interaction seemed…normal.

After Marie had planted a quick kiss on Edd's cheek, Rolf noticed that Double D just stood there, gently touching the area of the kiss. Rolf's chest suddenly swelled with pride, for he knew exactly what was going on. He had seen the courtship ritual of the rams back in the Old Country often enough to know that the same was occurring here in this accursed institution of torment and agony.

 _By the son of a Sheppard, Sock Headed Edd boy is becoming a man, all before Rolf's eyes._

 **Authors Note: Bit of a slow burn, but the plot now thickens.**


	5. A Deal's a Deal

Walking into the cafeteria, Edd was still in shock. Taking his usual seat next to Eddy (who was busy bickering with Ed), he simply stared out into space, unable to believe his misfortune. He had just agreed (well lets be honest, been duped), into tutoring Marie Kanker.

Alone.

After school.

He honestly could not imagine a worse situation.

 _A-alone? With Marie? How? Why?! Why has fate seen fit to punish me so? What did I do to deserve such karmic misfortune!_

Softly, Edd banged his head against the lunch table, drawing curious glances from his friends. "Geez, what's your problem sock head?" Eddy asked. Knowing that Eddy would be the last person in the world to understand his situation, he simply ignored the question.

The rest of the day turned out to be a blur, Edd barely able to pay attention in any of his classes. As each period drew to a close, he realized that he was one step closer to his promised rendezvous with Marie. His sense of dread began to magnify.

 _Why me? Why?_

The truth of the matter was that Edd was feeling very confused. On one hand, he was used to Marie's typical flirtatious behavior. Yet in the past two days, he had seen her act, well most **UN** -Marie like. There were moments when she lost her customary sass, appearing almost as unsure of the situation as he was.

But then, without warning, her usual Kanker attitude would return. It was honestly all too much for him. In the past, he at least knew what he was expecting. Now however…..all bets were off.

 _Life has dealt a cruel, cruel hand. Curses,_ Double D silently grumbled.

As the final bell rang, Edd took longer than usual gathering his books out of the locker. Eddy and Ed were nearby, continuing their conversation from earlier. As it turned out, Eddy was determined to get the last laugh over Lee. Heedless to the fact that his hotheaded attitude had led to nothing but trouble 24 hours ago, he was formulating his plan for revenge.

"Oh quit being such a wimp Ed! I swear, ya beginning to turn into Double D! It's messing up the group dynamics!"

"But Eddy! Kankers always win! Besides, last time your scam failed horribly!"

"That was years ago Ed!" Eddy snapped, thoroughly annoyed by the reminder of the "event" that had wrecked the lane and set the entire cul-de-sac against them. "They went too far this time, stealing a man's tires! This is war!"

Ed wasn't so sure. There were scant few times in history that the Eds had "defeated" the Kankers, and those weren't particularly encouraging. Once was during the Valentine's Day years ago, during the great food fight in the cafeteria. Technically speaking, Ed and Eddy had held their own, but they had only been facing two of the sisters at the time. The tide had eventually turned however, (as it always did), and only the timely arrival of a lovey-dovey Double D and May had spared them from a thorough thrashing.

Another time was when Eddy had told the Kankers off after they started kissing Double D after _he_ had received a thrashing from Jimmy, no less. Again though, that wasn't so much a "victory" as it was the sisters momentarily stunned by Eddy's unaccustomed burst of bravado.

So…not the best of examples.

With a desperate plea, Ed continued! "It's a bad idea Eddy! The Kankers will get mad, Ed will get hurt, and then Sarah will find out! Sarah will tell mom, Mom will tell Dad, and Dad will say 'Not now, I just got home'!"

But, as usual, Eddy ignored reason. "Shove it lummox! We're doing it, and that's final!" Turning away from Ed, who looked ready to burst into tears, he turned toward Double D. "So anyways, I'm starving. You guys up for some pizza?"

The mention of food snapped Ed out of his funk, "Ed loves pizza! Let's make sure we order one with extra marshmallows."

Eddy starred at his tall friend for a good five seconds. "That's… _gross_ Ed". Regarding a distracted Double D, he asked, "So whatya say Sock Head? You in or what?"

Edd very much would have preferred to go with his friends (even with Ed's strange choice in toppings), but he couldn't very well stand up Marie. It would be rude, mean, and would probably result in a whole world of trouble later on.

With a sigh, he turned Eddy down. "I'm sorry Eddy, but I'm afraid I have prior arrangements".

Eddy looked at Double D as though he had just grown an extra head. "Prior arrangements? The hell is that supposed to mean?" His eyes narrowed. "You've been acting weird all day Double D, just what is goin' on here?"

Edd began to get flustered, _Damn it! Eddy knows me too well, what do I tell him?_ He never felt comfortable lying, and besides: Eddy would see through it anyway. He decided that, in this instance, the truth would be the only feasible option he had.

Or at least part of the truth.

"Well, you see Eddy, I, uh, that's to say, that I have agreed to help a fellow student with her assignment. It was r-rather last minute, so I'm afraid I can't partake in any after-class activities". Edd's voice trailed off; he sounded so nervous that he doubted Eddy had been convinced. Hell, he didn't even sound convincing to himself.

Eddy just stared at him. "What? _Assignments?!_ Double D it's the second day of school….." His voice trailed off as he mulled over what he heard. Suddenly, a sly grin spilled across his entire face. "Wait, you just say help _her_ with an assignment, as in a girl?

Edd only stammered, which caused Eddy to cackle. "Edd, you dirty dog! " He playful elbowed Double D in the ribs. "I'm impressed man, truly".

It was pretty rare that Eddy used Edd's real name, so rare in fact that Ed thought he was talking to him. Crossing his arms and thrusting his nose in the air, Ed let out an undignified snort. "I always considered myself to be a chicken, Eddy" acting as though the phrase "dog" had been some great insult.

Eddy briefly turned to Ed. "Why the hell would you think chicken is!- You're an idiot Ed!" Again regarding Double D, his asked smugly, "So, Sock Head, who is this _mystery_ girl, hmmm?"

Edd, who couldn't believe what was happening, just continued to stutter. "Well, umm, I mean, well…." Eddy rolled his eyes.

"Fine Sockhead, don't burn a fuse. I get it, a man needs his privacy, _for now_." Suddenly, a serious look came over Eddy. With a conspiratorial glance behind him, he placed a hand over his mouth and whispered to Edd. "Seriously, though: this is a first date. Best to save the kinky stuff till later. Trust me on this."

Edd's face turned so red that he actually pulled his hat down to cover his eyes. "EDDY!" He exclaimed with a mixture of morbid embarrassment and disgust.

Eddy just cackled again, patting Double D on the shoulder. "Relax, Romeo, like you'd move that fast anyway". The serious expression came over his face again. Leaning in close to Edd's ear, he imparted more Eddy-golden-nugget-wisdom

"Seriously though man, ya never know. Hell, I just chatting to this babe once and….well, yknow? They don't call it "Mack" tonight for nothing. If the situation calls for it, there's a broom closet near the gym. It's always unlocked. Smells like puke in there, but it's nice and cozy. Plenty of privacy to get some _alone time_ in". Eddy's voice was both smug and proud at the same time.

" **EDDY!** "

It would have been unbearable enough on any regular day, but that fact that Eddy was inadvertently giving him make-out suggestions for Marie Kanker made everything a billion times worse.

"Eddy…..for the love of God man! Stop talking" Double D squeaked, his face brighter than his shirt.

With a final cackle and clasp on the back, Eddy turned away. "See ya Romeo! Don't forget to fill me in on ALL the details".

Ed waved too as he walked away. "See ya later Double D! We are off to make the biggest mistake of our digestive lives!"

With that, Edd found himself all alone in the hallway. With a heavy face palm, he again thought about how much he wished this day would simply be over.

Marie wasn't by her locker, which surprised Edd at first. He realized that in all likelihood, she was probably serving detention of some kind. With a deep sigh, be made his way to the science room (it didn't take a genius to figure out where she would be). Peeking in, he saw Marie sitting in her usual seat, looking bored as she doodled on the table with a pencil.

With a heavy heart, Edd sat down outside the classroom to wait for her. _No use delaying it Eddward_ he thought sorely.

It was a good 20 minutes before Marie came out of the classroom, grumbling to herself. When she saw Edd sitting down before her, her face lit up with a sly smirk.

"Ahhh, will ya look at this? Double Dreamboact came to wait for me. You're a sweetheart, you know that? I think I might just kiss ya." She punctuated this with an evil giggle.

It was a hollow threat he knew: yet it didn't make him any less nervous. "Y-yes, w-well shall w-w-we get going?" He turned to head toward the library, only to hear Marie cut him off.

"Past that way on my way here. Library's closed".

Edd suddenly got VERY nervous. IF they couldn't go to the library, where could they go? He eyed Marie suspiciously, wondering if she was trying to trick him. Even if she was, what could he do? Accuse her of lying? That would _REAL_ end well.

Marie simply looked back at him, her face a mask of indifference and mild amusement. She could practically hear the sound of gears as his mind worked. He didn't quite trust her, not that she could really blame him. Still, seeing his struggle with the dilemma was priceless.

 _Isn't this cute?_ She thought with wry amusement

Fairly good at reading people, Edd finally accepted (grudgingly) that Marie was being truthful. While nice enough on its own, he still had no idea where they could locate too.

As if reading his mind, Marie smirked. "Don't worry, Double D. We can head over to my place if you'd like".

Suddenly, all his encounters with the trailer park flashed before his eyes. _Not good, not good!_ Trying to be diplomatic, he let out a nervous "Th-that's quite alright Marie. I w-wouldn't wish to impose".

She rolled her eyes, although again she wasn't that surprised that he declined the offer. "Ok smarty. Then _where_ should we go?"

Edd thought about it for a full minute. If he was going to help Marie with her homework, it had to be somewhere quite where they wouldn't run into many distractions. Also, he preferred somewhere more private, least Marie started to make a usual scene. She wasn't exactly the type to be bashful in front of others.

For the life of him, he couldn't think of anyplace. Then it hit him like a brick: sudden, heavy, and painful.

 _No no no no no no no!_ Edd tried to convince himself out of it, yet he knew it was no use. He had agreed to help Marie, no matter how much he didn't want to. Backing out now would have been wrong. Plus, it would be private, and he knew the lay of the land, giving him plenty of escape options.

Theoretically.

Still, he knew he was going to regret this. A lot. A whole LOT.

"W-w-well, s-s-seeing h-how the l-library is c-closed, perhaps umm, we, just this _once_ , c-c-can errm, h-head over to my h-h-house. T-That is, i-if you wouldn't, errm, mind". Edd added the last part as a hail merry, yet he knew what Marie was going to say before he even finished.

For Marie, it was like Christmas morning. Her eyes lit up, and although he didn't think it was possible, her naughty smirk became even wider. She leaned toward him, saying, "Your place? Why Oven Mitt, don't you think we're moving a little fast? I mean, you haven't even taken me on a **date** yet". Suddenly, a thought sprang into her mind, and Marie's eyes twinkled with mischief.

"Unless of course, this **is** a date!"

Edd desperately tried to think of something to say, but he couldn't. Lamely, he said, "Umm, n-no th-this isn-t a d-d-"but stopped when he saw the look on Marie's face. With resignation, he realized it didn't matter one bit what he said.

 _Just let her have it, Eddward. It's not like she'll listen to you anyway._

With her signature smirk, Marie grabbed his arm. "Well, what are we standing around for? Lets go, _boyfriend"._ With that, she led him out of the school. For what most have been the thousandth time that day, Double D cursed his fate.

 **Author's note: I apologize for the short chapter and slower upload speed. When I started out, I figured "Hey! Two Chapters Per Week? No Sweat!" Well, that was a bit optimistic. I will definitely try to at least put one out weekly though. This was originally tacked onto the next chapter, but that would have made it REALLY long, plus this serves as a good launching point.**


	6. Learning After All, Part 1

**Authors Note: Next two chapters going be a bit long, sorry for that.**

Although the day had been clear and sunny throughout, it had grown quite cloudy by the time they reached Edd's house. It struck him as an ironic twist of fate. Marie had been clinging to his arm the entire way, much to his embarrassment.

They had passed by a few freshmen who had been hanging by the school entrance, but other than a few muted snickers they were simply ignored. Seeing a Kanker lead away a hapless victim wasn't exactly news breaking material.

Along the way, Marie could barely contain her glee. In her eyes, spending some time with Double D sure as hell beat going home and fighting over the TV. Glancing at him, she saw that he had his usual petrified expression. That being said, he made no attempts to free his arm from her grasp. She knew part of this was out of self-preservation, but then again Double D was never one to get antagonistic, no matter how unpleasant he found the situation.

 _Damn, he really is a gentlemen._ Marie knew of plenty of guys who would not have been, either shaking her off or making lewd suggestions that would have prompted her to dispose a quick punch in the face. Men had a one track mind. Well, she looked at Double D again. _Most_ did.

As they approached Edd's house, she finally let go. With silent thanks, Edd fumbled around looking for his keys. As he was about to open the door however, he stopped. This was _his_ house, and he was damned if he didn't lay down the law before they entered.

Even if it did get him mauled.

"N-now M-Marie. I, umm, would p-perfer if you, ummm….." His voice trailed off: he didn't want to sound like a jerk. She may not had been a _welcome_ guest, but she was a guest nevertheless. Thinking quickly, he finished "I would p-perfer if we umm, refrained from any t-t-tom foolery, rascality, and um….r-r-roguishness once we get in-inside." Inwardly, he prepared himself for a typical Kanker rebuttal.

Yet Marie simply rolled her eyes and gave a fake sigh. _Shoulda seen that coming. Still, can't say I blame the guy._ "You're such a killyjoy Double D. Alright, your house, your rules. So, I promise you: of those three things you mentioned, I refrain from doing _one_ of them _."_ Seeing the look on his face, she burst out laughing. "Ok, ok calm down Marta Stewart. I'll be on my best behavior. Scout's honor." She humored him with a fake two fingered salute.

Despite himself, Edd a shadow of a smile flashed on his lips. _I will say this about Marie: she can be quite humorous when the mood strikes her._

Opening the door, he stood aside to let her through. "L-ladies first." She laughed.

"Why thank you, _boyfriend."_

Marie had been to Edd's house a few times before, yet the only time she had walked inside was during the notorious Kanker Hissy fit. Then, she hadn't really been paying too much attention: now she took it all in. His house was quite nice; clean, orderly, with nothing out of place. Yet there was something a bit off.

To her, it felt much more like a museum as opposed to an actual home. It had a pristineness to it, as though it wasn't used all that much. For some reason, Marie got the sense that it was a bit…..empty. Lonely even. This surprised her more than anything.

"Nice place you've got here, Oven Mitt" she said as he closed the door. Edd detected something different in her voice, a slight softness that lessened her usual sarcastic edge. "T-thank you." He replied. "P-please, make yourself at ho- _comfortable_ " he caught himself in time. _No need to encourage her, Eddward._

Remembering his manners, Double D said "Can I get you anything to drink? We have water, soda, milk, even some grape-Marie?" Turning, he saw that Marie had disappeared. "Marie?"

 _Oh fantastic, I have a rouge Kanker at loose in my house. Nothing at all can go wrong now._

"Up here, Double Sexy". Hearing her voice, Edd looked up just in time to see her climb the last of the stairs before disappearing somewhere on the second floor.

In a panic, Edd shouted after her, "Marie! Guests are not typically permitted up to the second floor!" But hearing silence in reply, he knew it was no use. _Good Lord! What if she starts to rummage through the belongings? WHAT IF SHE ENTERS MOTHER AND FATHER's ROOM?!_

The last thought spurred him to action as he hurried up the stairs. To his surprise, he found that all of the doors (including the one to his parents' room) was closed. Well, every door but one.

Marie was nonchalantly looking around Double D's room, taking note of how organized and meticulous everything was. For reasons she couldn't comprehend, everything seemed to be labeled, as though the guy needed a constant reminder of what everything was. Walking over to his desk, she picked up a small cactus. It too had even had label: _Jim._

Jim?

 _What the hell? I thought he woulda given it some fancy-smansy scientific name or sumthin._

Seeing Marie in his room was too much for Edd to handle. His voice raised several octanes as it mixed with panic, shock, and irritability. "MARIE! I must insist that you vacate from my room immediately! There is a sanctity against such incur-". Suddenly, his voice cut out as he realized something.

The doors to the second floor were usually kept closed, yet Marie seemed to have found his room no problem. Voice dropping back to normal, he asked, "Marie, how did you know where my room was?"

She turned toward him, eyebrow raised in a bemused expression: _Really_? Remembering exactly who he was talking too, Edd let out an exasperated sigh. Grumbling to himself as much as to her, he said, "Stupid question, forget I even asked."

She flashed him a grin, "Hey, at least I never kept a _file_ , unlike certain big brained stud muffins I know".

Edd's face took on a slightly pink hue. True, back in the day he had kept a file on her and her sisters in an attempt to ascertain a weakness about them. Usually, it had failed miserably. They had only been kids granted, but when she put it like _that_ …well, it did sound rather strange when spoken out loud.

As he opened his mouth to speak, Marie casually walked over to his bed. With a devilish grin, she jumped on top of it, arms crossed. Edd opened his mouth to protest, but just face-palmed before closing it again.

 _What the hell? It's not like we're not in Wackyland already._ "Marie, if your're going to insist on lying on the place where I sleep, can you kindly remove your filth covered sneakers?" He asked dryly.

"Filth covered? What's that supposed to mean? You making a trailer park crack?!" She sat upright, eyes blazing.

Immediately, Edd put his hands out in a pacifying manner, "Certainly not! I simply meant that those are shoes that have stepped in lord only knows what today. I prefer the mystery substances to stay on your feet, _not_ on my sheets."

Still, Double D felt a bit insulted that Marie would have thought him so insensitive. " _You_ of all people should know I would never be so mean spirited." He didn't mean for it, but the sentence came out as a bit of a pout.

Hearing his words, Marie calmed down. Few things got under her skin: jabs about the trailer park were one of them however. Still, she should have figured Edd would never be the type to make them. It dimly occurred to her what he had just said.

 _You of all people_.

She regarded him with a catlike grin. " _ME_ of all people? Whatever do you mean, Oven Mitt?" Her mock innocence was dripping with amused sarcasm.

"Well, let's just say that when it comes to lampooning me and my friends, you and your sisters certainly do your _homework."_ Edd snorted.

Marie cackled, "Hey, _Art of War_ 101 Sock Head: know your enemy."

"Curious: in the past, war struck me as the _last_ thing on your mind during our interactions". Edd replied was a bit taken back that Marie had referenced Sun Tzu.

"All's fair in _**love**_ and war, Dreamy." Her cat grin grew so wide Edd was certain it would start to curl. Repositioning herself so that she was laying on her stomach, she rested her chin in her hands as she slowly rocked her legs in the air behind her.

"So, whatya thinks on my mind _now_ " she asked coyly, intent on messing with him some more

Edd blushed at her usual flirtatious manner. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it when he realized he honestly had no answer.

He remembered yesterday and this morning, when Marie had stopped her usual stunts. The first time, she had appeared to be kind and gentle. The second time, happy to simply be having a conversation with him. Both times, when she wasn't being her usual shifty self, Marie had appeared so _genuine._

Double D also remembered _his own_ reactions. He had been expecting an inevitable kiss, yet not dreading it. Also, talking with Marie earlier had been…well, rather pleasant. Seeing the softness in her eyes, and remembering her on top of him, or the smell of her hair was she rested her chin on his shoulder, brought a slight blush to his face.

He could honestly say he had no idea what it was Marie wanted, not anymore. _A truce? Compromise? Things to continue as they were? Friendship….? Like that can happen._

 _Can it? Or is she just flirting with me like normal? Can it be that she actually wants a meaningful relationship of some type?_

 _Wait: why did I just imagine THAT?!_

With a bit of a start Edd realized that, truth be told, he wasn't so sure what he wanted either. A part of him said he simply wished to survive this encounter, yet that still didn't explain his reaction from yesterday. Or this morning.

"Hey Sock Brain, you get lost in there?"

Snapping back to the present, Edd realized that Marie was staring at him, her eyes narrowed with puzzlement. "Umm, pardon?"

"I said: what do you think is on my mind?"

Edd looked at Marie squarely, his gaze level. "Honestly Marie, I'm not sure" he told her evenly.

"Oh…" it was a stupid response, but Marie was taken aback. True, his answer was a bit lame, but he had sounded so thoughtful and honest when he said it. And he was looking at her again, as if trying to see ALL of her, and not just her usual teasing self.

 _Just what IS on your mind, Kanker?_ When Marie had tongue tripped Double D into spending the afternoon with her, she had been ecstatic. He was fairly cute after all, and despite his neurotic nervousness around her was a gentleman. So, as far as men go, she had to admit he was fairly chill. Worse ways to spend the day, right?

Still…a part of her thought back about their talk by her locker. It had been, well _nice_. Is that what she had been hoping for, simply to get to know him better? To simply hang out?

 _Get real, Marie._

An awkward silence passed between them. Edd was tempted to ask her about yesterday, but thought against it. _Well, think of SOMETHING Eddward, or this is gonna be a looooong afternoon._

"Umm….Marie?"

"Yeah?"

"…..Can you please take your shoes off?"

It wasn't much of a statement, but it broke the awkwardness by allowing them to fall back to what they were used to. She rolled her eyes, but complied as she kicked her shoes to the side of his bed.

"Geeze Double D, you're a task master you know that? I mean, it's not like I just stepped in dog crap or anything."

"Manners, Marie. I assure you that if I was ever sitting on your mattress, I would never dream of placing my shoes on top of it". Her eyes flash with evil mischief as she fully reverted back to normal. Realizing the terrible mistake he had made, Edd nervously backtracked.

"N-not that I would ummm, v-visit your b-bedroom,. I'm s-su-sure it's quite c-com-cozy, but….uh….(sigh)…. N-never mind".

Seeing his attempts to dig himself out of that one made her laugh. "Aww, I still make you a bit nervous, don't I sweetie? I can't imagine _why._ " She punctuated the question by fluttering her visible eyelid in a mock seductive way.

It was Edd's turn to roll his eyes. "More than you know Marie." _It's like trying to approach an inebriated_ tiger. "Would you like me to list the reasons alphabetically, or chronologically? Either way, we may be here awhile".

Marie giggled; she knew Edd had a bit of a sarcastic side, but she never really saw it firsthand before.

To be honest, she kind of liked it.

"Double D, you're adorable. I ever tell you that?"

With a sigh, Edd grumbled, "Perhaps once or twice Marie."

Getting settled at his desk, Edd took up his notebook, pulled out his pencils, and carefully pulled out his textbook, careful not to crease the spine. On his bed, Marie was still lounging, arms under her head as she starred at the ceiling. Neither of them spoke, a little unsure of the situation. Casual chit-chat, at least with each other, was very much uncharted waters.

 _Well, they do say silence is golden_ Marie thought wryly. Suddenly, a wicked thought crossed her mind, causing her to snicker at the absurdity of it.

"Marie?" Edd asked hesitantly, surprised by her sudden, and unusual, reaction.

"Nuthin, Einstein", Marie replied, still laughing.

Arching his eyebrows, Edd said, "So your sudden giggle is nothing more than a discharge of nerves? _That could get awkward in public, but still: it beats stammering._

 _Some debate team captain you are._

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed slightly as a suspicious thought hit him. "Or can it be that you find something about my room amusing?" Edd felt himself getting slightly defensive: his room was his sanctuary after all. It was bad enough that even after all these years, Ed and Eddy still continued to poke fun at it, _especially_ the labels.

Picking up on his tone, Marie shook her head. "Naaa, don't get your undies in a bunch. I'm just finding it funny that it's only been what, twenty minutes? And I'm _already_ in your bed. Man, you are such an _animal_ Oven Mitt".

Edd's felt his checks grow warm at the remark. With a groan, he softly banged his head against the table. Even when Marie was in a seemingly docile mood, that mouth of hers kept going non-stop.

Surprise, surprise.

A small ray pierced his embarrassment as he remembered what Eddy had said earlier. He thought of how his friend would have reacted to the fact that Marie and him seemed to share the same dirty mind. Knowing Eddy, he would have been appalled at the mere suggestion of sharing something in common with a Kanker sister.

"Eddy would just love this." He said out loud to himself.

"What's that, Dream Cake?"

Picking up a slight shift in her tone, Edd quickly answered, "No, it's nothing! Just your 'animal remark': it's mildly amusing. Eddy said something similar not too long ago"

Marie's eyebrow shot up. "You told the little loudmouth I was coming over?" She couldn't imagine him being happy about _that._

Edd looked away for a second before answering. "Umm, no, I did not. I fear that Eddy is still a bit… _crossed_ from yesterday's encounter."

Marie threw him a smirk. "That _really_ the reason, or you just want me all to yourself Lover-Boy?" Seeing his face redden, she pressed on.

"Awww, are we just _too shy_ to be seen with a super hottie like me?"

Not liking the direction the conversation was heading, Edd replied, "N-no, Marie! N-no to either!" He honestly didn't mean for the remark to sound insulting, and Marie knew that. Still, she wasn't going to let him get off that easily.

Sitting up, she faced him. In an arch voice she asked "Nooo? So you _don't_ think I'm attractive?"

Edd could have sworn he was hyperventilating. Although he was well aware that Marie was messing with him, he also realized he was in a no win situation. If he said no, well, that could hurt her feelings or worse make her angry (plus deep down he had to admit "no" wasn't the truthful answer either).

Yet if he said yes…..well he could only imagine how difficult she would make his life.

His mouth hardwired directly to his brain, Double D kept trying to give an answer that would get him out of hot water. Unfortunately, his nerves kept getting in the way.

"Well, umm…..a-ad-adolescene has been rather, errrr, well not _unkind_ to….ummm…..what I mean i-is…. in a pure-purely pla-platonic sen-sense…..you, you c-c-c-ould be c-c-c-considered…. F-farily a-att-attractive…."

With each of his stutters, Marie's cat like grin had grown wider and wider. _So he HAS noticed me, that's something_. Leaning back onto the bed, she unleashed another snicker. "Shit Double D, so _suave._ You really know how to sweep a girl off her feet."

Edd groaned, prompting another smirk from Marie. "Your enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Oh, immensely".

Desperately needing a change in topic, Edd lamely declared, "Ummm….we, should, probably do some h-homework". The red color of his cheeks elected another giggle from the blue haired teenager.

As he suspected, Marie really didn't need any help with homework. Although they were in the same science and history classes, Marie didn't even bother to crack open her book to the assigned chapters. She was quite contempt to lay on her stomach, doodling on the inside cover of the textbook.

Edd was tempted to tell her that defacing school property was wrong, but thought better of it; it wasn't like she would listen anyway. He did however try to get her to do some work at the very least. If anything, he could at least say he had _attempted_ to help her out.

"Marie, don't you think you should read the chapter? We may have a surprise quiz on the material."

She shot him an exasperated look. "It's the American Revolution Double D. Concord, Lexington, George Washington, Saratoga, Yorktown. Been there, done that."

Edd raised an eyebrow, surprised that Marie seemed so knowledgeable on the subject. Seeing this, she shrugged. "Hey, I fail at school cause I'm lazy, not cause I'm stupid." There was a slight challenge in her tone.

Edd knew that to be true. The Kanker's craftiness alone was a testament to their intelligence. Over the years, they had successfully managed to outwit the Ed's numerous times, derailing many of Eddy's schemes. Their own personal plots usually showed quite a degree of ingenuity.

Being his own personal foil in years past, Edd realized that this was especially true of Marie. She was, no doubt, the most rational of her sisters (if the term applied). Her cunningness had also made her the one, in the past, least likely to back down.

Grudgingly (and ironically, given the present situation), Edd had to admit she was also the sister who had matured the most, emotionally speaking. The teasing drove him nuts for sure, and her pranks were irritating no doubt. Yet they were less frequent than what here sisters did, and also were far less severe. Juvenile, yes, but not sadistic.

And compared to her _past_ actions, these present antics paled in comparison.

It dawned on Edd that, for reasons he couldn't comprehend, Marie and him had somewhat a different relationship than the others. It really couldn't be defined all that well in words (Although he supposed MESSY came pretty close). Still, it was A LOT more then Ed/May and Eddy/Lee had.

 _But why? Compared to the others, Marie and I seem to be the most, well…_ _ **dissimilar**_ _._

Right on cue, the memory of their "moment" at the junkyard from popped into his brain, although he immediately tried his best to squash that from his thoughts…

Looking at her, Edd saw she was expecting an answer. His past relationship with her aside, Edd never had, nor would he ever, have a desire to hurt her feelings.

Gently, Edd replied, "I never suggested you were, Marie."

Her eyes narrowed, but she could tell he was being truthful. _There he goes; always the good hearted one_. _Even to his mortal nemesis._

Out loud, she simply smiled evilly. "That's good, Sock Brain. I'd hate to have to break your nose, in your own house no less". She tried her best to sound menacing, but it was unconvincing even to her.

A sudden thought sprang into Double D's mind, although he hesitated a second before asking. "Did, umm, d-did you tell Lee and May about today's plans?"

Marie snorted and shook her head. "You kidding? They'd have just invited themselves over. Like I really want to spend _more_ time with those two."

As she said this, Edd saw something he never had noticed before. It was clear that the three sisters, forces of natural destruction as they were, clearly loved each other dearly. That said, they were at _each other's_ throats as often as they were intimidating others. Needless to say, such an environment could hardly had been stress free.

That could account for a lot of her sarcastic and devil-may-care attitude, he thought to himself. Still, it was these lapses that he couldn't put a finger on. Oh, she could be a she-devil all right, but also _amicable_ when the mood struck her.

Looking at her, Double D couldn't help but wonder: _Just what is it that makes Marie tick?_

She noticed his thoughtful gaze, staring as if trying to see beneath the surface. Marie looked away slightly flustered; she wasn't used to someone trying to see through her like that. Life experiences growing up had taught her to be on guard at all times.

 _Never let em see ya sweat_ , as her mom used to say.

The fact that, of all people, it was Double D trying to read her made her cheeks take on a pink hue, barely visible though it was. _Just what is he up to over there?_

Seeing Marie get a tinge pink made Edd himself unsure of what to say. On one hand, he knew it was wrong to pry, yet he also knew that this was a perfect opportunity to get some answers.

Between yesterday and today, he sure had plenty of questions.

There was one particular that was nagging him, one that he never really had spent time dwelling on before. It was, however, a question every inhabitant of the cul-de-sac (with the exception of Ed) had wondered themselves at one point or another.

"Umm, Marie, c-can I ask you something…..?"

She had a flippant remark on the tip of her lips, but seeing the look on Ed's face made her stop. He seemed so…..serious, as though it was a question that needed answering. So instead of her usual mischievousness, Marie simply shrugged.

"Knock yourself out".

Ed opened his mouth…..and nothing came out. It was just so personal and too embarrassing to ask. Between what happened yesterday, and his own uncertainty toward her, he simply wasn't ready for the answer.

 _Why do you like me?_

So to cover up, he lamely asked "Umm…well, when did you get so into art?"

Inwardly, he kicked himself: his pause proved that obviously WASN'T the question he had intended. Yet Marie didn't notice: she was too busy being surprised. She didn't think Double D would have brought out their conversation from earlier.

 _Art again? Thought he was just being polite before._

Playing casual, she shrugged. "I dunno. Always liked it as a kid; it's kinda soothing, ya know? Just creating whatever you feel like" Edd noticed that her voice has lost several layers of its usual sharpness.

He hesitated a second before continuing. "Why wasn't any of your artwork ever put on display? Surely a teacher must have noticed your talent."

It wasn't the conversation he had envisioned, but Edd rolled with it. Like earlier, this was the only real normal interactions he had ever had with Marie, and it wasn't half bad (thus far). True, some of that was because she was not on her usual offensive.

Still: talking to her, for _real_ , was rather pleasant.

Beside the point, he actually _did_ have a bit of an ulterior motive, although it wasn't sinister. A normal interaction, or at least an interaction that _didn't_ involve a constant stream of sarcastic innuendo, would finally him an opportunity to try and figure her out.

Or at least try to.

 _Again with the compliments? He does realize who he's talking to, right?_ Still trying to play dismissive, Marie said, "Eh, I never wanted my crap to be hung out. What for? So some doofus can ogle over it? Besides, you know the dick heads in our school; someone would probably mess with it anyway."

Edd could see her point (although to be fair, there was a _reason_ people disliked her so). Still, he thought it was a bit of a shame. Her work was quite good, and it obviously meant a lot to her.

"Well" he said, "I, umm, I'm sorry I didn't know about your artistic endeavors before. I guess it's something I never knew about you." His face reddened as he spoke, afraid he had been a bit too forward.

Marie herself felt the tips of her ears redden. _Sorry? Why would he be? He just being all nice here or…..does he WANT to know me better?_ She knew that Edd hadn't really verbalized anything like that, but sill. There was something in the Sock Head's tone of voice that made her think he was trying, albeit hesitantly, to reach out.

Kinda.

For once, Marie wasn't quite sure how to proceed. In the past when they were kids, she would have simply used the situation to her advantage without hesitation. After all, she hadn't gotten the reputation as the most devious Kanker for no reason. But this wasn't the old days, and _neither_ of them were children anymore.

Hearing Double D talk to her, hell even ask her questions, was _nice_. Even a welcome change of pace. Still, she wasn't all that used to _nice._ Especially from _him_ , no less.

A part of her was tempted to just let the conversation die down, make some crack to fluster him back to the defensive. But another part of her fought against the idea. _The guy seems sincere. I mean, this is Double D here._ She thought about yesterday, and the soft gentleness that she saw swirling in those brown eyes. Edd couldn't, no _wouldn't_ , harm a fly.

 _Just loosen up, ya freakin idiot!_

Looking slightly past him, she asked, "Yeah, well…..I got some other drawings and what not's if you wanna see 'em. Y'know, if you're interested. Nothin fancy, a lot of are still works in progress".

To her own ears, she sounded like a moron, but Edd didn't care. He saw by her hesitation that this wasn't all that easy for her; at the same time though, she DID seem to want him to say yes.

Edd smiled, a bit unsure, but said "Certainly".

Reaching into her backpack, Marie pulled out her sketchpad and motioned for Double D to sit next to her on the bed. He approached very warily; one did not simply SIT next to a Kanker. Yet she made no move against him. Stiffly, he plopped beside her on the bed, eyes searching for the first sign of impending doom. Marie however, simply continued to lay on her stomach.

It was _so tempting_ to mess with him, but Marie could tell he was a hair away from bolting. So instead, she casually opened to the beginning of her pad, where several rough sketches of Lee and May lay.

"These are kinda bad, but I use to have hard time drawing people. So I used and Lee and May to pratice. Turns out they're good for _something_ …." Her words dripped a bit acidly, but Edd could tell there wasn't any real ill will in them.

At first, the sketches were a bit rudimentary, but they got steadily better as he looked across the pages. Gradually, the drawings seemed to come more and more vivid, almost as if they were imbedded with the personalities of their owners. Double D was fully aware of the concept of drawing, yet he had never fully comprehended how objects drawn on a two dimensional plane could seemingly feel alive themselves.

He stole a quick glance at Marie: she was the _last_ person he expected capable of producing something so beautiful.

She caught his glance, "What?"

"N-no, nothing. Please, um, continue."

As she flipped through her book, Edd saw more sketches, although these had a much more fantasy-isque tone to them. Among them was a punk rock guitar shredding skeleton, a pumpkin headed king using a scythe to summon his armies on Halloween, a few cars, and some strange robot-human hybrid.

Marie did not really offer much commentary, simply give a brief sentence here and there in explanation. _Probably thinks I've watched too much music television_ she thought. When she turned the page, Edd suddenly saw the face of a woman, drawn with incredible detail.

There was something about her that tantalizingly familiar. Her hair was long, and she bore a striking resemblance to May. Yet, as he looked closer, he could see some Marie and Lee in her as well. Her expression was a combination of world weariness, ferocity, and smugness. Yet there seemed to be a small flicker of kindness too.

With a start, it suddenly struck Double D who he was looking at.

Marie had forgotten about that particular sketch, and quickly tried to turn the page. Yet Double D stopped her by gently reaching out: his hand, although not touching hers, hovered not far by.

"Marie…..is that your mother?"

She nodded, hesitantly. "Yep. Ma always said we had the good fortune of inheriting her looks. Though I guess May took after her the most personality wise." For reasons she didn't understand, she felt self-consciousness. _Who woulda thought showing some stupid drawings could get so personal?_

Edd simply nodded, trying to visualize what Mrs. Kanker's personality must have been like. Based on comments overheard over the years, he was fully aware that she had a rather low opinion on men. _Well, she has a personality similar to May, correct? That's something…..though Ed may disagree._

"Umm, she looks quite….pretty". It took all of Edd's self-control not to slap his forehead as soon as he uttered the words. _Way to make it look like you're hitting on her mother, Eddward_. Yet Marie just laughed, amused by his choice of words.

"Cute, but it's ok to say it Double D: she looks like a _hell_ of a tough cookie. And she is. But she's great: taught us everything we know. Mostly."

 _Everything? Well, that explains quite a bit, actually._ Suddenly, a horrid thought sprang to mind.

"Umm….did you tell her about Ed, Eddy, and I?" His nervousness gave his voice a slight edge.

"Oh, you bet: Ma has heard _plenty_ of Ed, Edd, 'n Eddy stories over the years" Marie giggled.

"Oh…." Double D wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. Although he had never met the woman, he had the vague feeling she wasn't someone you wanted to be on their bad side. That said, he honestly had no idea what sort of things Marie could have said about him.

He didn't imagine they were the best.

 _Why don't you ask her, Einstein?_ Edd could practically hear Marie's sarcasm in his mind.

"Umm, what did you tell her about me?"

Marie looked up from the sketchpad, staring into space as she thought for a minute. "I told her you have major OCD, are a bit of a pushover, and couldn't do a single sit-up even if the survivalof the human race depended on it." She turned to look him in the eye: as expected, his face a painting of pure shellshock.

 _Hey, I'm not gonna lie_. Still, Marie looked down and to the side as she considered her next words: despite what she had just said, they weren't _everything_ she had told her mom.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly continued.

"I also told Ma that you're the smartest guy in town, kind as fu- _hell_ , loyal no matter what, and always looking for the good in people, regardless. I told her…..well, I told her that as far as people go, you're not half bad." Marie looked up, meeting Double D's gaze.

Despite some minor protests at her description of him ( _If the fate of mankind hung in the balance, I could do ONE situp….)_ he was blown away by what he had just heard. _Marie think's I'm kind? She considers me….a good person_?

None of this made up for the past, but still. _As far as people go, you're not half bad._ Hearing her words, Edd was stunned. Experience made him at first skeptical, but Marie wasn't one who spoke so _openly_ often. Did it mean….did it mean that Marie didn't simply view him as her own personal plaything? For years that was exactly what Edd believed. Now….now he had some doubts.

 _Does Marie….does she actually see me as a person?_

"Double D?"

"Y-yes?" Edd answered, still trying to wrap his head around everything.

"Did you ever tell your folks about me?" She asked in a voice much softer than her usual.

"Umm, nooo, I have not." She kept her gaze even, but Edd caught a flash of sadness in her eyes. _Why would I tell them about her? Marie and I were hardly friends._ Yet deep down, Double D knew that wasn't the real reason.

He elaborated, "My parents….well, they don't really know the cul-de-sac or its residents. They met Kevin's father briefly, yet I doubt they even could remember his name. They have a hard time as it is keeping track of Ed and Eddy, usually confusing one with another."

Marie searched Double D's eyes, trying to read beneath the surface. Again, she felt an overwhelming wave of sympathy for him. Mrs. Kanker was NOT perfect, yet even she had at least a vague sense of life beyond her own personal bubble.

Marie had at least someone to talk to.

She knew it was a risk, but she couldn't help herself. With surprising speed, she knelled up and grabbed Edd in sudden hug. Squeezing him tight, she could feel every nerve and muscle in his body tighten.

Thoroughly flabbergasted and utterly terrified, Edd stammered, "M-Marie! What, um….w-why…ummm…" He stopped: unlike her embraces of the past, this one didn't feel like a boa constricting its prey. Rather, it was tender and warm; he could feel the affection bubbling underneath.

As he sat there, her arms wrapped around his torso, Double D couldn't deny it. It felt weird and even slightly traitorous, but the hug also felt rather _nice_. His heart was still pounding, although it was less and less out of fear.

Letting go, Marie looked at Double D, a slight smile on her face. He starred back blankly, unsure what to say.

"Umm….w-why did you do that?" He asked, going for the obvious.

Marie rolled her eyes, smiled, and sighed all at the same time. "Why? Because I _felt_ like it Oven Mitt." She gave a brief pause before adding, "And you looked like you needed one."

Before he could respond, Marie repositioned herself so that she was sitting up right next to him. Grabbing her sketchbook, she placed it so it was half on her lap and half on his. She flipped the page and started to show him more of her work as if nothing had occurred.

Edd went to speak, but decided against it and simply began listening as she described her various drawings.

For a good hour, they simply sat: Marie talking, and Edd listening. Occasionally, he would interrupt with a question or compliment, but otherwise just gave her his undivided attention. For whatever reason, Marie seemed to be opening up more after the hug. Her answers became much longer and animated than before.

For his part, Edd began to gradually relax as he listened. He could tell that Marie was so passionate about her artwork, much like he was as passionate about his various scientific and academic pursuits. Hearing the distinct happiness in her voice brought a slight smile to his own lips.

The absurdity of the situation also didn't escape him: here was an Ed, _willingly_ seated next to a Kanker, listening as she talked. No one would have ever believed such a tale. Yet, despite all his earlier misgivings, Edd was rather enjoying their interaction.

Marie turned the page, and Edd was suddenly hit by a sight much different from all the rest. Although her other pages had been filled with sketches, this particular illustration was totally complete and full of color. It was of Park N' Flush, as seen from the point of view of the Kanker's trailer.

In all honesty, Double D had never cared much for the area. His interactions with the Kankers aside, it always seemed somehow apart from the rest of the cul-de-sac, as though it somehow both did and did not belong. Personally, he also found the area to be a bit gross, with trash and garbage littered everywhere.

Marie's drawing did not sugar coat this aspect; if anything, it looked like she had drawn the park to be even _dirtier_ than it was. Yet in the background Marie had included the creek that separated Park N'Flush from the rest of the cul-de-sac. Painted a majestic blue and surrounded by trees in the peak of autumn, it was breathtaking. When set against to the muted colors of the trailer park, it created a picture that was stunningly beautiful.

"Marie, how long did it take you draw this?"

Marie shrugged, "The sketching itself wasn't so bad. Coloring the thing was the real challenge. Maybe eleven, twelve hours".

" _Eleven hours?!_ " Double D's mouth dropped: he never imagined the drawing could take so long. (Nor did he ever imagine something could hold Marie's attention span for so long).

Marie nodded, "Well sure. It's a bitch, but I mean you don't want a hack job, ya know?"

"There's no need for harsh language Marie" Edd said, prompting his blue haired companion to snicker and roll her eyes.

"What are you, ten Double D?"

He gave her a tiny smile, "Well, give or take _quite_ a few years."

"You must be a riot at parties…"

Suddenly, a loud roar made them both jump, interrupting the conversation.


	7. Learning After All, Part 2

As it turned out, the clouds had in fact been a precursor to a monstrous rain storm that had finally arrived at Peach Creek. Edd and Marie watched from his window as the rain came down in walls, making visibility next to zero.

Frowning, Marie declared, "Yeah, there's no way I'm walking out in THAT", she gestured out the window.

Edd concurred, "No, you're not". Seeing her turn toward him with an arched eyebrow, Edd quickly continued. "Umm, what I mean is, it would be most rude to send a guest home in such foul weather." Marie tossed him a smirk.

"Awww, admit it Double Dreamboat: you just don't want me to leave." Turning toward his bed, where her sketchpad lay, she got slightly more serious. She had honestly enjoyed showing him his artwork, but it was time for something else.

"So, since we're gonna be cooped up for a while, whatya wanna do?"

"Well, we could attempt to finish our homework." Edd gestured to his desk, where the open textbook still lay open.

"Naaa, been there done that. Besides, why bother with the headache when you can just copy off of your brainiac lab partner?" She asked him sardonically.

Edd groaned. "I would attempt to tell you how doing one's work could lead to academic excellence, but I figure I'd be better off trying to convince _**Eddy.**_ **"**

"Damn straight, Jack". Feeling a kink from sitting for so long, Marie stretched, showing off even more skin in her midsection than usual. With a blush, Edd quickly averted his eyes.

He checked his clock: it was only 4pm. _Never imagined I'd be spending the afternoon in the company of Marie, but then again this day is full of the unexpected._

Thinking out loud, Edd said "Hmm, well I suppose we could watch some television. I noticed earlier that there is a documentary on the Mantodea that looks quite intriguing".

The hopefulness in his voice dissipated as he saw the " _you have got to be kidding"_ look on Marie's face.

 _Woooow Sockhead, way to dazzle the ladies_ he heard Eddy inwardly mock. Making a mental note to perhaps brush up on conversational skills with the opposite sex, Edd quickly added, "Umm…of course I could just see that another day."

"Good call" Marie replied dryly.

His cheeks a bit pink, Edd thought of what else to do, wanting to keep the pleasant atmosphere rolling. "Well, perhaps we could order some take out? I would suggest we pick the food up ourselves, but I don't really feel like going out in _that._ " He gestured outside.

Marie's eye lit up: her sisters and she really didn't eat that much take out, simply for the fact that they couldn't afford it. She was about to agree to Double D's suggestion when another idea came to mind. It seemed a bit much, but the more she thought about it, the more she fell in love with it.

 _Y'know, hanging with Double D is really fun. Maybe we should do something a bit more off the beaten path. What the hell? If anything, maybe he'll see I'm more than a pretty face_.

"Actually, I got a better idea sweetie. Let's go!" Leaping up, she grabbed his arm and hurried toward the hallway.

"M-Marie!" Edd exclaimed, shocked and nervous, but it was to no avail.

With expert quickness, Marie led Double D down the stairs and to the kitchen, getting more excited with each step. By the time they had stopped, the poor boy was out of breath, having to practically sprint in order to avoid being dragged behind her like a rag doll.

In between deep gasps of air, he asked her "Pray…I ask…what you have….in mind?"

Marie looked him in the eye, a radiant smile on her lips. He was a bit taken aback: usually it was full of mischief, but now she seemed genuinely excited. He knew he should have been apprehensive, yet there was something endearing about it. Looking at her so, while becoming aware that she was still holding onto his arm, made his heart start to beat a couple of ticks faster.

Practically jumping up and down, she asked, "Ok! How bout we cook dinner ourselves? Y'know, like man and _wife"._ She threw in the last part just to mess with him, yet it was lacking its usual wicked playfulness. He failed to notice, however

 _Cook?_

"Umm…what did you have in mind?"

Marie's smile widened. "Meatloaf!" She happily squeaked.

Edd was again taken back. " _Meatloaf_?"

"Yeah!" Marie was looking around his kitchen, trying to figure out where everything was kept. "It's my mom's recipe. She tries to make it once week, and it _freakin rock_! Not to brag, but between Lee, May, and I, you're looking at the one who makes it the most kick ass. Trust me Double D, you'll love it!"

Suddenly, she stopped, and looked at him with a bit of uncertainty. _Way to act all hyper and May-like, Marie!_ She knew Double D spooked easily, and here she was jumping all over the place and talking a mile a minute.

Trying her best to act casual, she asked "If that's ok with you, that is".

The only food of Marie's that Edd had ever tasted was a hamburger, which was so liquidly that he could have practically eaten it with a straw. It had also been the first time the Ed's had met the sisters, and well look how _**that**_ had turned out.

Looking at her, he saw that although she was trying to hide it, Marie looked quite excited. _Genuinely_ excited. Usually, only time he had ever seen her with such glee was in the past, when she was about to attack. Still, he sincerely doubted that was the case now.

Besides: it would have been hurtful to just turn her down flat. _What the hell?_ He decided to give it a shot.

"It sounds…splendid". Edd favored her with a nervous smile.

Marie giggled, "Splendid? You get a kick outta big words don't ya?" Before Edd could respond, she said, "Ok: we need to get the ingredients: some ground beef, parsley, cheese, and ketchup. _Lots_ of ketchup."

They scurried around the kitchen: Marie telling Double D what they needed while he collected the ingredients. He knew the basics of meatloaf, but some of the items Marie requested seemed slightly unorthodox.

"Um…Marie? Are you sure we need so many onions? And umm…..bananas?"

She laughed, "Trust me Double Dee, it'll be worth it in the end."

They continued to scramble about. Edd brought out a mixing bowl and placed the ingredients he had pulled out next to it, all lined up neatly. Marie had a bit more disorganized approach, simply lopping everything in a heap on the kitchen counter.

Looking around, Marie couldn't for the life of her find the key ingredient. "Hey Oven Mitt, you have any breadcrumbs around here?"

Edd motioned to a cabinet by her left knee. "Indeed. In there."

Double D wasn't really much of a cook. He was decent, but he had never really attempted something on this scale. _I wonder what the oven has to be set_ too. He turned around to ask Marie the question, but the words died mid-sentence.

In fact, his entire mind itself went blank.

Marie's attire had always been risqué, showing generous amounts of skin. As she was bent over, searching for the breadcrumbs, Edd could see A LOT of her lower back. _**Quite a lot**_.

He could practically hear the cuckoo clock chiming in his brain.

Regaining his composure, he shook his head furiously, his cheeks a crimson scarlet. _Edd! Please man, be respectful!_ He went back to setting the oven trying his best to forget what he had just seen. Despite everything however, he _did_ steal another quick peek. Or two.

Double D was a kind hearted soul, and a gentleman at heart. But he still was no monk.

Marie had developed a sixth sense when it came to people checking out her ass. It was, after all, a frequent occurrence. She smiled to herself: _Well, at least I know now that Double D_ _definitely_ _likes what he's seeing._

Impishly, she glanced over her shoulder, "So, enjoying the view?" she asked coyly.

Edd's face grew hotter than the sun. He tried to speak, but only incomprehensible gibberish came out. Snickering, Marie walked over to him.

"It's ok Oven Mitt. I'd much prefer _**you**_ checking out my ass than some random dipstick. After all, nothing's sexier then knowing your man still finds you _desirable_ after all these years." Before he could respond, Marie punctuated her statement by giving Double D a quick slap on his butt.

He thought he was going to die from embarrassment.

As Marie was busy using her hands to mash the ground beef together, Edd was studiously pouring the breadcrumbs into a measuring cup, going slow so that he would have EXACTLY ¼ of a cup. Glancing over, Marie frowned at the sight.

"Double Dreamy…..what are you doing?"

Not breaking his concentration, Edd said, "All recipes call for very precise instructions Marie. I wouldn't want to inadvertently spoil the meal, especially after all the effort you have taken to prepare it."

"Awwww, aren't you cute? "She said playfully, yet sincerely. She walked over to him and gently took the measuring cup away. "I appreciate the sentiment Ed-Head, but you're missing the point. Cooking is about having _fun_." She took a pinch full of breadcrumbs and threw them at Double D to emphasize. Seeing his futile attempts to dodge made her laugh.

Edd gave her a warm smirk. "Not fair! With my hands full, I had no way of defending myself!

She gave him a buddy-buddy elbow rub. "Too bad" she sung. Turning toward the mashed up bowl of beef, she said to him "Ok Emeril, bring those crumbs over and let's put this bad boy in the oven".

Forty five minutes later, Edd and Marie were both seated across from each other at the kitchen table, thoroughly enjoying the meatloaf. Despite having an open mind, Double D was rather surprised. None of the Kankers, least of all Marie, struck him as being _competen_ t cooks, let alone good ones.

"Marie, I have to admit: this is quite exquisite. I really like it."

Marie's heart skipped a few beats upon hearing the compliment, but she played it cool. "Thanks, Sock Head. Guess we Kankers are good for something huh? Well, other than striking fear into the hearts of the masses." Seeing him roll his eyes, she laughed.

Continuing, Edd said, "To be perfectly honest Marie, you never struck me as the type who liked cooking."

 _Type?_ She stopped mid forkful and glared at him. "Type" was the word men used when they wanted to imply something sleazy. She had heard it before on a few dates. It usually went along the lines of "Y'know, you look like the type of girl who likes a good time" or "You strike me as the type who has a bit of a naughty side". You didn't need to be a rocket scientist to read between the lines.

Thus, Marie _hated_ that word. Hated.

"Oh really? So I'm a certain _type._ And exactly what _type_ did I strike you as?" Her eyes took on a venomous hue as she spoke.

Picking up on the change, Edd grew mindful. _Uh oh._ Trying to carefully work his way out of the danger zone, he said, "Well, umm, I didn't mean anything by it Marie…."

Yet she was in no mood to let him off the hook. "No, tell me _Oven Mitt"_ he shuddered when she said the name, feeling as though someone had poked a needle thru some far away voodoo doll. "What _type_ do you take me for?"

 _You just haaaaaaaaaad to put your foot in it, didn't you Eddward?_ Edd stole a quick glance to the kitchen window, wondering if he could make a dive for it if need be. As if: Marie would catch him in a heartbeat. _What on Earth did I say to make her so feral?_

With a gulp and silent prayer, he knew there was no way out of this but head on. Fighting against his quickly crumbling nerves, Edd looked at her.

"Umm…honestly?" he asked meekly

" _Carefully_ ", she amended.

"Well….I guess you always struck me as something akin to an evil genius. You were, _are,_ very…..crafty." The word he had been looking for was actually "devious", but he figured that particular adjective would not have been appropriate given the present situation.

Still, his flight or flight-even-faster instincts started to kick in, sure that he was in for it now.

To his surprise, Marie just blinked once before a smirk appeared on her face. _Shit Marie, the hell is wrong with you? Like Double D would make some jackass sex crack_.

The fire in her eyes died out as she spoke. "Evil genius huh? Well, that sure as hell beats 'ho', 'skank' or 'party girl'." After listing the euphemisms, she sat back and smiled at a thoroughly confused Double D.

"Not exactly how I would describe myself, but I guess being called genius from the resident Egg Head is quite a compliment. Right, Oven Mitt?" She used the phrase as its usual term of endearment.

Edd smiled, relieved that everything had simply been a misunderstanding. _Still, she actually thought I had been making a derogatory statement about promiscuity_. He could only imagine that she had received such lewd comments in the past.

That thought alone made Edd fell a bit sad. Perhaps it was his upbringing as a gentleman, or perhaps it was just his inner nature, but Edd didn't believe relationships should have been regarded so casually, carnally speaking.

 _And here you just called her evil. Fantastic Eddward_ he thought to himself, feeling quite guilty. He knew that Marie had quite a thick skin, but that didn't make him feel any better about what he said.

He looked at the table, not able to meet her smiling eyes. "To be clear Marie, when I said 'evil genius', I did not mean _evil_ in the literal sense. That would imply that you're a terrible person, and I have never considered you that. Trying at times, but certainly not evil. I have _never_ thought that, and I still don't." He blushed, feeling bashful.

Marie's eyes widened, taken aback by Edd's quiet honesty. He seemed guilty about his choice of words, and…concerned that he had hurt her somehow. Concerned? About her? Who the hell gives a second thought about one of the Kanker sisters?

Another fact also surprised her. _Doesn't consider me evil? So what does he consider me? Casual acquaintance? Reformed criminal? Frenemy?_

… _Friend?_

Unsure of how to react, Marie scratched the back of her neck. "So umm….what DO you consider me?"

Now that was a good question. Edd thought a full minute before answering, wishing to be completely honest.

"Well…..I suppose that, in a very literal definition, I consider you to be a fellow peer from high school. Yet going beyond the obvious, I consider you to be….." He stopped, unsure how to phrase it.

 _Carefully_ , Marie's voice reminded him in his brain. _Just be honest, Eddward._ "I consider you to be a very complex person, Marie; full of facets I never knew existed. And, well, despite our _colorful_ past….I would very much like to know you better."

There: he had said it. Both of them just sat there silently, mulling over his words. _Holy shit. He's so honest and so…open. I don't think I've ever known anyone like that._ Marie was wondering if her ears were working properly: the last thing she ever expected was an olive branch from Edd.

She looked down, unsure what to say. Finally, she smiled at him, a hint of her usual mischief seeping through. "Know me better, huh? Well, I hear people do that lots of times on _dates_.

He felt a blush come over him, although he could tell she was simply teasing because she had nothing else to say. Still, this was _his_ home turf. And she didn't appear willing to maul him.

Time to fight fire with fire.

"Now, now let's not get frisky….. _Turtle Dove._

Marie was dumbfounded. Turtle Dove was the term Edd had called May that one bizarre Valentine's Day when everyone had lost their heads. She herself had actually fallen for _Rolf_ , until he threw dirty mop water over all of them, proudly proclaiming that harsh reality had been restored.

The fact that her crush and sister had been flirting made it a very sore memory for Marie.

Looking at Edd, she could see that he was biting his lower lip, trying not to giggle. _Sonnova….he's messing with me!_

"Ooooh! So Mr. Goody Two-Shoes _does_ have a bit of a wicked side!" she accused.

Giving her his best innocent expression, Edd replied "Why Marie, I have _**no idea**_ what you mean!"

She stuck her tongue at him. "Ass." she said, although there was not a trace of malice in her words.

The rest of dinner went rather pleasantly as they continued to talk casually. Finishing up, Marie shot Edd a playful glance.

"So…..you've experienced the glory that's my cooking, but what about you? Any secret Double D family recipes you wanna try and tackle?"

Edd, who was just about to take his final forkful of his meatloaf, stopped. A somewhat melancholy look overtaking him, he said "Umm, I'm afraid that I do not know of any. My parents are away quite often on business; international or across the county. When they are home, our meals tend to be of the TV dinner variety."

He looked down, "That said, it has been quite some time since we _have_ all sat down at once."

Marie looked at Double D, her heart swelling with empathy. Everyone knew that Double D was a pretty responsible guy: he seemed to contain a wisdom way beyond his years. With a start, it dawned on her that a lot of this personality stemmed from necessity. Although a teenager, Edd was pretty much on his own in many respects.

 _He's lonely_ she thought gloomily. In that moment, her affection for the brainy Ed grew one hundred fold.

Catching her eye, Edd tried to backpedal. "Mother and Father have both made tremendous sacrifices so we can have a comfortable life. I really can't complain." He tried to give her a smile, but it felt fake even to him. _She seems…concerned. Towards me?_

"No, no I get it Edd". _There she is using my name again_ Double D realized. Marie struggled for a couple of seconds, unsure how to proceed. A part of her wanted to just move on, yet she found herself unwilling to do so.

With a gulp, Marie slowly pushed the words out. "I know that things can get lonely at times. My mom works a lot too, don't get to see her all that often"

Edd looked at her, startled. Marie's voice had again taken that unusual soft and gentle tone, a complete turnaround from her earlier playfulness. This clearly wasn't an easy topic for her to discuss, but she had just opened up.

To _him_.

"But you have Lee and May with you, surely they provide some company."

Marie raised her eyebrows. "You have met my sisters, haven't you? We're not exactly the warm and cuddly type. Besides, Lee's out a lot, working or tormenting some poor sap. And May….well, May's a moron. Sometimes I need to get out just to have some peace, y'know? " She looked away, feeling slightly self-conscience.

Edd could see that for himself. _Interesting, I never thought I would have something to BOND_ _over with Marie Kanker._ He was quiet for a while, then opened up himself.

"I can understand. Sometimes, it's nice to enjoy some peace and quiet. I enjoy very much spending time with Ed and Eddy, and would not trade that time for anything. That said, we all need our own moments to ourselves."

Marie suddenly looked at him, very much surprised. As far as she knew, Double D was practically inseparable from those two. Her gaze narrowed suspiciously, wondering if this was some kind of trick to get her to drop her guard. Yet from his eyes and smile, she could see that it wasn't.

Out loud, she asked, "I thought you were all three peas in a pod?"

Edd chuckled. "Very much so, yet from time to time Eddy's endeavors to seek attention can get a bit wearisome. And Ed is…..well, he beats to his own drum."

Marie thought about yesterday, and the incident at the junkyard. "Yeah, shorty is pretty half-cocked isn't he? Lee called it when she said he'd come stomping over to get those ugly tires back."

Edd smiled, realizing how Lee had easily played Eddy like a fiddle. As she usually did. "Yes, well I'm a bit disappointed that Lee didn't **bury** the tires. She probably would have done us all a favor."

Marie laughed, a rich warm laugh that for some reason made Edd's heart beat a little bit faster. "God, they are **SO** ugly. Still, I'm surprised to hear you actually saying such things. You don't want to _**encourage**_ us, do you Oven-Mitt?" She threw him a mischievous smirk.

Although he was still a bit on edge around her, their interaction had put him quite at ease; he was probably 89% like his normal self. For reasons he didn't fully understand, Marie's sly sense of mischief seemed to also be rubbing off on him somewhat. With a sly smile Double D replied, "Wouldn't dream of it, _Turtle Dove_ ".

The preparation for the meal had left quite a mess in the kitchen. After they finished eating, Marie volunteered to assist, overruling his objections.

"Marie, I couldn't possibly! The guest should not have to clean-"

She cut him off. "Aww, quit it Double D. It was my idea in the first place, least I can do is help you clean up."

The work went by rather quickly. Seeing Edd with the bowl used to scramble some egg yolks, Marie commented, "Kinda wish we had a dishwasher at home. It'd make life a hell of a lot easier."

Edd nodded. "It certainly does help, although for the longest time my parents resisted getting one. They figured we didn't use that many dishes as was."

As they worked, a thought occurred to Double D, making him smile in wry amusement. Noticing, Marie stopped and asked, "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, really." Edd said, although he couldn't quiet wipe away the grin still stapled to his face.

Marie crossed her arms. "Well, obviously _something_ is on your mind, so spill Dreamboat."

He turned to face her. "Well, it's just that having someone to help clean up is rather nice. That being said, I never would have thought that I would be gaining assistance from _Marie Kanker_."

"What's that supposed to mean!" she exclaimed. Marie wasn't angry however; she saw that Edd was being playful.

Edd arched his eyebrow. "Oh well let's see, between the snakes in my locker yesterday and the water balloons last week, you seem to enjoy _creating_ chaos, not _cleaning_ it."

"Why you….." Marie smiled, knowing the gauntlet had just been dropped. _Game on, Oven Mitt_.

Impishly, Marie reached into the sink, took out the kitchen hose, and sprayed Double D point blank in the chest.

The coldness of the water made him jump several feet back. "MARIE!" he shouted in shock.

Marie started laughing hysterically. "Sorry Double Dreamy, couldn't help it. Y'know, I had to fill my daily _chaos_ quota. It's just something we _Marie Kanker's_ like to do".

Yet Edd was not angry, quite the opposite. Turning on the faucet, he cupped his hands over the running water. _So that's how she wants to play it_ he thought. Before she had time to react, he quickly threw the handful, making it Marie's turn to get wet.

 _Damn, that water really is cold._ Jumping back, Marie giggled. "Hey! Does a _gentleman_ really splash water at a girl?"

Edd put on his best innocent expression. "I am simply following the rules of juvenile tit-for-tat, Marie. For be it for _me_ to break the unspoken code".

She started laughing hysterically. "Ohhh, wrong move bucko!" With that, Marie unleased the hose. Yet Edd was aware of what was coming this time, and gently grabbed her hand in a halfhearted attempt to point the nozzle back at her. She playfully nipped at his fingers in an effort to regain complete control of the instrument.

They mock fought for the hose, laughing as the water stream went wild. Both got utterly soaked in the process, yet Edd took the brunt of it. He simply was unable to match up against an energized Marie.

Unable to control his laughter, Edd gasped, "Marie, please! Stop!"

Marie let out an excited scream as he briefly managed to direct the spray back at her. "Not until you say _Uncle_ Double D!"

Edd knew he couldn't win, so he conceded, "Alright, alright! Uncle, Uncle!" Finally putting the hose down, Edd saw that the floor, counter, walls, and cabinets were all drenched. Normally, he would have been freaking out, yet for this instance he honestly didn't mind.

Well, he didn't mind _too_ much. So long as he could clean up quickly, it'd be fine.

He stood there gasping, smiling at Marie who gave him her own gleeful/impish smile in return.

"Well….looks like we made quite a mess".

" _WE?"_ Marie snickered. "You're the one who went for the hose, Sock Head."

Edd smiled. "You went mad with the power! Someone had to stop you!" He replied, deliberately being over dramatic.

Marie laughed, thoroughly enjoying this side of Double D. No nervousness, no fretting, no self-consciousness. He was completely relaxed and living in the moment.

On his part, Edd too was also enjoying this facet of Marie. Although her role as a wild card had always made him on edge, he saw now that there were perks of being a free spirit.

As they starred at each other, Edd became aware of how her hair was soaked, yet somehow still seemed perfect. There was also something in her eyes, something similar to what he had seen yesterday. Without her usual smirk, she seemed to be quite happy and…lovely.

 _WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST SAY?!_

Suddenly the entire situation dawned on him; here they were standing in his kitchen, both soaking wet. Looking at Marie he saw that her shirt, which was slim fitting to begin with, was now clinging to her figure _extra_ tight.

Embarrassed, Edd looked to the floor, fumbling for words. "Umm, well….um…." _Don't be standing there like an idiot Eddward: think of something!"_

Stealing a glance at Marie, he saw that she was shivering slightly. Forgetting his nervous tick, Edd said, "Oh Marie! You must change your clothes, least you catch hypothermia."

She rolled her eyes, seeing that Edd was slowly reverting back to normal. Still, she found his concern touching. Not wanting to show it, she sighed, "Its summer and we're inside. Pretty sure I'll be alright Dr. Oz".

But Edd shook his head. "I must insist Marie. You apparel is…. _liberal_ as it is. Besides, what if you catch a cold?"

Despite herself, she favored Edd with a small smile. "Well I don't really have anything else to change into. Unless you'd rather me parade around in my bra."

Ignoring her remark (or trying to, although his red ears gave him away) he thought of possible solutions. It went against his grain, but Edd didn't want her to get sick. "Well, I have plenty of clean shirts available. I just finished laundry the other day, so I assure you that they are quite fresh."

Marie shrugged, "Hey, anything beats standing around in a soaked shirt."

"Agreed. They are in my dresser, top right draw."

Marie turned to go, when suddenly a rather evil idea struck her. _Time to REALLY have some fun_.

Facing Edd, she said, "Might as well get this thing off." Grabbing the bottom of her shirt, she slowly began to pull it up over her head, centimeter by centimeter. She had no intention whatsoever of going through with the motion: she simply figured that Double D's reaction would be worth its weight in gold.

And she had to hand it to him: the man didn't disappoint. Although he didn't see anything but a few more inches of skin, his face turned so red it was blinding to look out. His eyes growing wide, he shouted "MARIE!" Before turning around so fast that she was sure he would drill a hole in the floor. His eye shut tightly, he actually put a hand over them as added protection.

Marie doubled over, laughing so hard that tears started to form in her eyes. "Oh man, Double D. That was _priceless"_.

Seeing him remain firm with his back toward her, she left the kitchen and headed for the stairs, still giggling. She called after him, "Don't worry Dreamboat, I'm heading off to your room to change. _And_ rummage through your draws."

"Always wondered if you were a briefs or boxers man." She added slyly as her footsteps receded.

Hearing her ascend the stairs, Edd finally thought it was safe to open his eyes. Shell-shocked, he gingerly began to clean up the water mess in the kitchen. His mind was totally blank, his brain too hyperventilated to even think of a single word. As his senses slowly came back to him and his pulse return to normal, Marie's parting shot came back to him.

 _She wouldn't go through my draws….would she?_

Hearing footsteps, Edd turned around to see Marie standing in the doorway, wearing one of his usual t-shirts. Although it was a bit big and wasn't a color he normally associated with her, Double D had to admit she looked good.

"Damn Double D, you sure do have _**A LOT**_ of orange shirts."

"I apologize that we can't all share your fashion sense for the macabre."

Marie giggled, "Well would ya look at us, black and orange. We'd be the king and queen of Halloween." Looking down at her new shirt, she added, "I mean, I sure as hell _feel_ like a pumpkin."

After she helped Double D clean up the kitchen (which took awhile), Marie gathered her backpack. "Well, I should probably get goin. Don't want Lee to get all maternal on me."

Edd walked her to the door, honestly sad to see her go. He had expected this day to turn into a nightmare, but it had rather been quite pleasant. In a few hours' time, he had actually gotten to know Marie better than he had ever had. She was, well, quiet a complex person, much more so than he would have thought. As it was, he barely scratched the surface

Walking outside, Marie turned to him. "Y'know Oven Mitt, you really _suck_ as a tutor. All this time and I didn't learn a damn thing."

"Always blaming the instructor I see; it's never the _student's_ fault" he replied dryly.

Marie laughed. "God, wait till I tell Lee and May I was _**in bed**_ with Double D. They'll totally flip."

His cheeks warming up, he asked "You wouldn't?"

"Damn straight I would!" she replied defiantly.

For a few seconds, there was an awkward pause as neither of them spoke. _Well, guess I gotta take charge here._ "Well, I had a nice time Dream Boat. I know I invited myself over, but still: it was nice."

Edd scratched the back of his neck, slightly flattered. "It was….definitely unexpected" he conceded, "but also quite pleasant."

Marie laughed as she raised an eyebrow. "Careful there tiger, you keep throwing words like that around and I might think you actually _**like me**_."

Edd blushed, unsure how to respond. A small part of him wondered if Marie would simply act like her old self next time they saw each other, yet another part of him realized that their relationship, whatever the hell it was, had evolved.

Sensing his uncertainty, Marie said, "Well, see ya later _**Double Dreamy**_ ".

She wasn't sure what she had been expecting: a hug, a B.F.F ring, a freakin good night kiss? Whatever it was, it just wasn't there. And that gave the ending to the evening a bit of an anti-climactic feeling.

 _Eh, well it was fun for a while. Shoulda known it was too good to last._ She turned to go, determined not to show any disappointment.

"Marie….wait."

Seeing her walk away, Edd knew it was decision time. In the past, he would have simply watched her go, relieved to have survived the encounter. Yet they weren't in the past. Not anymore.

Although he never thought a friendship with a Kanker would be possible, they seemed to be slowly drifting toward one. Maybe they weren't there _**yet**_ , but it still one hell of a start.

That said, they would never get anywhere if he just _stood there_.

Seeing that she was waiting, he blurted, "I was….um…well….." _Damn it Eddward, out with it!_ He took a breath and continued.

"On W-Wednesdays, I tend to stay after school for a bit. Eddy likes to frequent the weight room and work out, and Ed accompanies him. I myself usually go to the library to do some homework. Since we share two classes, I was wondering…..if maybe you'd like to join me. I could use the company, and we could get a leg up on our assignments. I-If you're free that is!" He added hurriedly.

It took Marie a few seconds to pull out his meaning. "Wait…are you asking me if I'd wanna _hang out_?"

Edd felt himself blush. "Well…technically speaking we would be, although the primary reason of our interaction would be to finish school work first and foremost." He paused, his blush deepening at what he was about to say.

"That said, I would not object to us socializing outside of class. I had….. _fun_ today. Even the disastrous water fight was memorable. All of it was fun, the entire time spent…. _with you_ ". Edd's gaze fell to the ground as he said the last part, unable to look into Marie's eyes.

For a while, neither of them spoke. Their rapidly beating hearts were almost in unison, each one sure that the other could hear. Marie was unsure how to act: _Double D wants to HANG with me? So…maybe he doesn't like-like me, but he most still LIKE me._

 _Or is he saying this cause he DOES like-like me?_

 _Shit, does it even matter? He wants to be….friends._

Marie didn't really have many: Kankers flew solo or with each other. Looking at Edd, she realized that maybe that didn't have to be the case anymore.

In a soft voice barely above a whisper, she asked him, "You're serious?" She sounded hopeful, guarded, and unsure all at once.

Edd smiled at her. Despite his nervousness, he had no regrets by his choice. "Quite. You did just say I _suck_ at tutoring after all. The least I could do is make it up to you. As one of the more academically gifted students, I do have a reputation to uphold."

It was a pretty lame attempt at humor, but it was the perfect thing to say. Seeing his good nature, Marie felt confident herself.

Her usual smirk returning she said, "Alright Oven-Mitt, you got yourself a date. Although I fully expect some _results_ this time buddy." In spite of her teasing choice of words, Edd could see that her eyes were twinkling.

On her part, she could see a sincere warmth in his own.


	8. The Ed and the Kanker

The alarm rang at exactly 6:00am, rousing Marie from her deep sleep. Groggily, she stood up, trying to blink the tiredness from her eyes.

 _Ah, shit._

Stirring besides her in the king seized bed, Lee irritably slurred, "Ah…wha time is it?"

"Six" Marie answered without enthusiasm, getting off the mattress and moving to the dresser. Thankfully, she had enough sense to pick out her clothes for the day the night before, not that her ensemble really changed that much on a day to day basis.

Lee let out a groan, "The hell you keep setting the clock so early?"

"Oh, shut up Lee." Marie replied as she stumbled toward the bathroom in her boxers and t-shirt, carrying her clothes under one arm. _Need coffee, need coffee, need coffee_ she continually chanted over and over.

"Wake me at a civilized hour" Lee grumbled before turning back over. Within a minute, she was fast asleep again.

The shower, as expected, was a bit lukewarm, courtesy of May. _I'm gonna have to have a little chat with her later_ Marie growled to herself. She quickly finished, brushed her teeth, got dressed, dried her hair and applied makeup. By then she was fully awake, yet still grumbling about the early morning rise.

Walking down the stairs, she saw that her little sister was watching TV in the living room, a bowl of cereal balanced on her lap. As the youngest, May knew her usual place in the pecking order: last to get in the bathroom, last to eat breakfast, and last to have any say on what to watch.

Yet she was a Kanker: they weren't just pretty faces. May had learned to trump the sisterly hierarchy this by getting up substantially earlier than either of her siblings, therefore ensuring she received first dibs on everything.

Blessed with a built in clock, May didn't need the alarm to wake up. She had been following this pattern for years, so early mornings didn't bother her at all. As Marie grumbled her way down the stairs, May could tell that her sister had yet to make such an adjustment.

"Mornin, Marie!" she replied, a bit too chipper.

"Ah, can it Rumpelstiltskin" Marie replied as she plopped down onto the couch besides her.

May was quiet for a minute, then asked, "Rumpelstiltskin? Who?

"Ya know, the guy from that fairy tale"

"Which fairy tale?"

Marie looked over at her sister, a slight glare in her eyes. "What am I, a literary scholar? It's too freaking early to think about this crap!"

May shrugged, " _You_ started, missy. Besides, it's been a month already: shouldn't you be used to waking up early?"

"One month doesn't make up for a lifetime of oversleeping." With a grunt, Marie got up and headed toward the kitchen.

May smirked, although wisely kept her mouth shut. It was no secret as to _why_ Marie had suddenly taken the intuitive on some days to wake up way earlier than normal. Needless to say, it involved a _certain_ hat wearing individual.

"Hey, what happened to the Cocoa Chunks? Damn, it May: you didn't finish them _again_ did you?" Marie's slightly irate voice called from the kitchen.

Looking down at her half-filled bowl, May began to frantically eat the rest of the contents. "Mmnnope! Mmmwasn't me!" She called back with a full mouth. Getting first dips on breakfast had its perks, yet still came with its drawbacks.

Sticking a pop tart in the toaster, Marie rolled her eyes. _So much for respect of seniority._ As it popped, she quickly grabbed the slices and walked back into the living room, where May was just about done eating the evidence. Without a word, Marie sat down next to her, grabbed the remote from her hands, and casually flipped through the stations.

Deciding to take a chance, May playfully asked her sister, "So, you have someplace to be this morning?"

"No, May: I just woke up at 6:00am for my _health_ ". Although sarcastic, Marie's remark lacked a bit more bite than usual.

"Well, where are you going? Meeting _anyone?_ " May asked coyly.

Marie shrugged, "Gotta finish up a lab for science. No big deal." Although she sounded indifferent, May could detect a subtle layer of softness that nobody but a Kanker could see.

She smiled; this had become something of a ritual for them. She would ask questions she already knew the answer to, while Marie would respond casually, not avoiding the topic, yet not making a fuss either.

Deep down though, May could tell her sister liked these early morning questions.

At a quarter to seven, Marie stoop up and headed toward the door, grabbing a hoodie as she did so. Turning to May, she said, "Better go and wake Lee up. I'll catch up with ya both later. Gotta leave now otherwise my lab partner will have a cow". The last part was a lie, and they both knew it.

Just as she was about to head out the door, Marie heard May cheerfully call out behind her "Have fun! Say hi to Double D for me!"

Marie turned and gave her a smirk before stepping out into the autumn air.

Although September had been unusually warm, October was making up for this with a vengeance. Almost overnight, the temperatures had dropped significantly, feeling colder than usual. While today it was only in the lower fifties, a piercing wind made her light hoodie feel useless.

Honestly though, she didn't care. True, the cold was a bitch, and waking up early was simply a nightmare.

Yet for Double Dreamy, it was all worth it.

As expected, the school was still pretty much vacant as she arrived. _This place is even more dreary empty than it is full_ Marie thought to herself wryly. Cutting through the cafeteria to get to the science wing, she saw that the school wasn't actually as empty as he had thought. Two figures sat at a table nearby, having a one sided argument.

"C'mon babe! You know that's not true!"

"Oh really? So you _didn't_ go on a date?"

"Nazz, it wasn't a date! Just two people-"

Before Kevin could finish, Nazz cut him off. "Right. It was just two people 'hanging out'. Like we do _all the time_ , right?"

Kevin opened his mouth, but Nazz just made a noise of contempt and stood up. She was so angry (pissed off was the correct term), that it was taking all her self-restraint not to rip him a new one.

With the new school year, Nazz had truly expected Kevin to drop his machismo act and actually ask her out, as in _officially_. Hanging out with him (and, let's face it: _making_ out with him) was fun and all, but Nazz wanted, well…..

A bit more. _Something_ more. Yet it didn't seem like Kevin felt the same way.

As she turned to leave, Nazz found herself face to face with Marie, nearly colliding with her. Being shocked and slightly embarrassed by the fact Marie must have heard what they were saying, Nazz gave a slight blush. Still, being her, she was friendly.

"Oh, hey Marie! You're in early."

"Yeah", Marie responded coldly, giving out her best do-not-approach vibe as she continued walking. Truth be told, she didn't really care for Nazz (or most of the cul-de-sac residents, for that matter). As far as Marie was concerned, blondie was too preppy, too full of herself, and seemed way too shallow.

Plus, it was no secret that nearly every guy (including Double D) had at one point or another a crush on her. In the past, that fact alone would have been enough to make Marie's blood boil. Now however, she was slightly jealous for much more personal reasons.

Still, she wasn't as stupid (or annoying) as the others, so she at least got a _bare_ acknowledgement. The same curtesy didn't extend to the chinless wonder, however.

As Nazz and Kevin watched Marie walk by, he let out a scoff. "Gee, what the hell is she doing here so early? Looking for a soul to steal?" Hotness factor aside, he always considered Marie and her sisters the epitome of bat-crap crazy.

Nazz ignored him as she watched Marie exited the cafeteria and make a left, heading _toward_ the science wing. She knew for a fact that was the exact same place where Double D was.

She also had seen for herself how Edd didn't seem to run and hide whenever he encountered Marie these days. If anything, he looked pretty happy.

Well actually: he looked _very_ happy, if his slight blushes and wide smiles were any indications.

Nazz let out a girlish grin. More to herself than to Kevin, she said, "I dunno. Looks to me like she's on her way to meet up with someone. A _special_ someone".

Kevin just gave her a blank stare. "Umm, what?"

Rolling her eyes, Nazz said, "Forget it, Kevin. You'd be the _last_ person to comprehend the concept."

"What? Wait, babe what do you- Nazz! Hey, Nazz!" But it was no use: Nazz simply walked away, not bothering to even give him a second glance.

With a frustrated sigh, Kevin just sat where he was. _The hell is with her? What did I say? Chicks, man, chicks: who the hell can figure 'em?_

As usual, Double D was sitting in his regular seat when she got there, head buried in a Periodic Table of Elements and scientific calculator. God knows what he was up to: they had finished their lab write up yesterday (they _always_ finished within a period). Yet Double D was Double D: the guy liked to do science stuff even in his spare time.

 _Oh, he's a Geek alright. But a dreamy one._

"Mourning, Oven Mitt." Her voice, although always having a somewhat mischievous edge, was thick with a layer of friendly playfulness.

Her heart also started beating a bit faster, but that wasn't something she was about to announce out loud.

Edd looked up at the sound of her voice, a small smile spreading wide across his face. He _was_ happy to see her, and a bit nervous, although none of that stemmed from fear these days.

"Good morning, Marie! I admit to being surprised at seeing you hear so early."

 _The hell he is_ she thought to herself wryly. It was a Tuesday after all, and this had become something of a routine for them. Taking her place next to him, Marie leaned back and plopped into her seat.

"Whatya working on?" she asked, genuinely curious.

Edd lit up. "Well, I'm glad you asked! You see, I have read ahead past the next five chapters. I was intrigued by Einsteinium: the separation procedure is just absolutely _astounding_ …."

He stopped as he noticed Marie's (failed) attempt to stifle her giggle by biting her lower lip. Greatly confused, Double D asked, "Umm…was it something I said?"

She smiled, "Most people don't even read the _first_ chapter to this stinkin' book Oven Mitt; never mind read _ahead_."

Edd blushed, aware that he had inadvertently let his nerd flag fly. Noticing, Marie gently elbowed him in the ribs, "Relax, Jack: I _like_ you for your brains. Between them and my own crafty deviousness, we could run this place." She cocked a mischievous eyebrow at him.

"Y'know, if you weren't such a _goody_ _two shoes_ that is."

Double D blushed at the word _like_ , although he knew full well that in this sense she meant it as his friend. Mostly.

Taking off her hoodie, Marie let out a slight shiver. "Shit. Why the hell did it have to get cold?" She grumbled.

Edd gave a predictably logical response. "Seasons change, Marie, and we have only just begun to enter autumn. I suspect the temperatures will steadily drop from here on out."

He looked at her apparel, which consisted of a black tank-top that was of course bared her mid-riff. With a raised eyebrow, he dryly pointed out, "Perhaps if you wore something _slightly_ more modest the cold wouldn't bother you so much."

Marie rolled her eyes at his practicality, but smiled nonetheless. "You think a little cold is going to make me roll over? Fat chance, buster." She thought for a minute, then added, "Besides, you _like_ the way I dress. Admit it, Oven Mitt."

Double D looked down, his ears reddening at her tease. He didn't confirm her hypothesis, yet he couldn't deny it either.

Marie pushed her chair back as he placed on leg on top of the table. Looking at Double D, she playfully said, "Y'know, I'd like to see you try and rock the mid-riff. I bet you could own it like a badass."

Smiling, Edd replied, "That is quite alright, Marie. I dare say I don't have the figure for a naval piercing."

It had been a sort of grand experiment, or at least that's how Double D had initially thought of it. Truth be told, he had been a bit nervous when it started: old habits die hard. The time spent with Marie at his house had been rather positive, but still it had been a rather spontaneous event.

He knew far too well that Marie Kanker was a wild card: a part of him wasn't entirely sure what to expect. Yet deep down, Edd had a feeling all would be well. So, he took a leap of faith.

At first, things were slightly awkward between them during their initial library rendezvous. Edd's nerves would often tongue tie him, while Marie's rather blunt personality also had the habit of putting him on edge. Plus, she still carried a sarcastic edge, her mischievous smirk, and could be _quite_ feisty when the mood struck her.

The memories of their rather _colorful_ past were always in the back of his mind, too.

As time went on, however, their bond, which had developed at his house, began to gradually deepen. Eventually, Edd had learned to stop being so fearfully nervous around Marie and simply started to act more like himself. On her part, she began to display a more friendly-playful mischief as opposed to her outright wicked innuendos of the past.

They talked about a whole variety of topics: school, classes, music (Marie was stunned by Edd's lack of knowledge: _Were you born in the 20's or sumthin?!),_ life in general, etc. In short: they talked about all the things _friends_ usually do.

Their new friendship also made the classes they shared together much more interesting, especially science class. Between Edd's smarts and Marie's blatant disregard for procedure, they proved to be an unstoppable (if slightly mad) duo.

(One more memorable interaction had occurred just one week ago. After stepping away to clean out a beaker, Edd returned to the Bunsen burner to find that Marie was holding a sandwich over its open flame in an attempt to grill it.

Totally in shock, Edd has screamed, "MARIE! W-What are you DOING?!"

She had given Double D an exasperated look. "The hell's it look like, Mr. Wizard? I'm making a hot melt."

For a full ten seconds, Edd didn't say anything but sputter. Finally, he regained enough composure to ask one word, " _Why_?!"

Marie had simply shrugged. "I couldn't find a microwave").

Eventually, they began to see each other more and more. Marie usually went in early every Tuesday just to spend more time with Double D (a fact he was aware of and looked forward to), while he had developed the habit of stopping by her locker on his way to lunch. Walking with him toward the cafeteria always made her heart, and his, beat a bit faster.

Theirs was unexpected friendship, one that seemed to defy all the rules of logic and nature. That said: it was a _real_ friendship nonetheless.

And although neither of them would voice it aloud, they were beginning to enjoy the time spent with each other more and more.

There was something else that neither of two would admit, for surprisingly similar reasons.

Marie's feelings for Edd had always been more than a simple crush, and she knew that. But now…now she didn't know how to explain it. Not in words.

Edd had always been a kind, gentle person. That's what made him stand out from other guys: while all they ever wanted was some fun and done, Double D himself would never treat another person so casually. Hell, here they were, _friends_ for crying out loud, even after all the shit he'd been through.

Well….all the shit _she_ had put him through.

Yet, the guy didn't seem to hold it against her. The amount of kindness in his soul truly never ceased to amaze her.

What's more: he was far funnier, smart, and caring than she had ever given him credit. Although he often acted as a voice of reason, he also knew to relax and just have fun (with a gentle nudge here and there). As she got to know him more, Marie saw just what a special person he was.

It hadn't seemed possible, but she had really _fallen_ for the Sock Head, hard. A lot harder, in fact than she would have imagined. It broke Rule #1 of the Kanker Code: don't lose your head over a _man_. In the past, that had been fairly easy to accomplish, but not so much these days.

Still: they had gotten to a place Marie _never_ thought they would get, and she wasn't about to mess it up. Though that didn't change the fact that she wanted to be _with_ him, not simply _hang out_ with him.

There was a big difference between the two.

Ever since their encounter at the junkyard, Edd had been confused. He had seen a softer side of Marie, one that he never knew had existed. A side he didn't know how to respond too. A side that, for whatever reason, made his heart beat faster. Honestly, he had no clue what to make of it at the time.

But now, that was no longer the case.

As he had gotten to know Marie better, Double D had begun to find more things to admire about her. Marie was a tough, no nonsense individual who hardly let anything get her down. She possessed a degree of confidence that he both marveled and was slightly envious over.

Furthermore, beneath her tough and biting exterior was actually a warm person who had a lot of hidden depths. Granted, this was not exactly the words most people would have used to describe Marie Kanker, but it was the truth: he had seen it firsthand.

As their friendship deepened, a lot of his confusion had dissipated as he saw what kind of person Marie was _now_ , not how she was in past. It may have sounded crazy, but Edd had grown comfortable around her: he _enjoyed_ calling Marie a friend.

And then, one day, he realized the truth.

The fact had suddenly snacked him straight in the face one afternoon while they were sitting in the library. He had so desperately wanted to deny it, but only a fool would try to argue against what they knew was true. And Double D was no fool.

Spending time together, getting to know her better, seeing the parts of her normally reserved for family, and becoming friends…they had all lead to this one outcome.

Slowly but surely, Double D had been developing feelings for her.

It was a fact that he couldn't quite make peace with; as a result, he tried to lock it away in the back of his mind. Yet it would always come back to him, no matter how hard he tried, if not to deny the facts, but avoid them altogether.

Neither Edd nor Marie made any attempt to hide their newfound olive-branch: Edd thought doing so would signify that he was ashamed somehow, which he was not. And Marie simply didn't give a rat's ass what anyone thought.

Slowly, their friendship was noticed by the cul-de-sac kids, with the exceptions of Jonny (who never cared enough to notice such things), Kevin (who was too self-absorbed to notice such things) and Ed (who was Ed).

Although Nazz was starting to piece together the fact that their friendship may have evolved into something more, Rolf knew what was going on right from the start. His chest swelled with pride at the sight of the Sock Headed Ed Boy and Blue Haired Demon Sister, although he kept his comments to himself.

One watched wildebeests; they did not interrupt them.

Yet the one person who was the most confused, and certainly not the happiest by what he was seeing, was none other than Eddy himself.

After school that day, the trio made their way to a nearby hill, Ed smiling happily as he pushed a shopping cart. As they stopped at the crest, Edd looked down nervously to the grassy bottom. He was having _serious_ reservations about this entire idea.

Eddy smacked his hands together in anticipation. "Alright boys! Let's do this!"

Ed started hopping from foot to foot, unable to contain his glee. "This is so cool! Sledding in October, it's like an early Christmas!"

Double D cleared his throat, "Um, this hardly counts as sledding Ed. It's simply rolling down a hill whilst inside a supermarket shopping cart. An unstable, brittle piece of plastic that has absolutely no safety features whatsoever…." Edd's voice began to trail off that more he thought about it.

Yeah, this was definitely _not_ a good idea.

Eddy clasped him on the shoulder reassuringly, "Ah, relax Sock Head: live a little! Ed will be steering, so what can go wrong? Besides," his eyes narrowed as his voice took on a suspicious edge, "It ain't like _you_ haven't been taking some risks of your own lately."

"Me? Eddy, what on earth do you mean?" Double D was a bit confused, both by his friend's words and tone of voice.

"What do I mean? Gee, Double D I don't know….Maybe the fact that you seem to be getting _awfully_ friendly with a certain gothic _Kanker_ we know of."

At the mention of the familiar name, Ed's joyful mood was quickly replaced by panic. "Kankers?! Who? What? Where?!" His head shoot in every direction in a pointless attempt to locate the imaginary threat.

Inwardly, Edd let out a slight winch. He wasn't totally surprised by Eddy's attitude; he had in fact been waiting for such an accusation for some time now. Still, that didn't mean he _agreed_ with Eddy's negativity, and he told him as much.

"Eddy, while I can understand your reservations…."

Eddy cut him off before he could finish, "Reservations! You're damn right I have reservations! You're being all buddy-buddy with one of the _Kanker sisters_! The hell are you thinking Double D!"

Rolling his eyes at Eddy's predicable use of the over dramatic, Edd replied, "Eddy, surely you can _hear_ yourself. Marie is a _person_ , and my lab partner. Surely it makes more sense to establish a peaceful co-existence as opposed to spending the year running in terror from her. Besides," he hesitated, unsure if it was wise to say what came next.

 _Well, in the immortal words of adolescent rebellion…..screw it!_

Taking a breath, Edd said calmly, "Besides which, I have gotten to know much more about Marie in these past few weeks. She _is_ a good person, one simply has to look past her rather rough patches."

Eddy starred at him for a second, than doubled over as he burst out laughing. For a full thirty seconds, he couldn't speak. Finally, wiping a tear from his eye, he said, "Oh, man….that's a _good_ one Sock Head."

Edd crossed his arms, slightly irritated. "I fail to see what I said that was so _amusing_ , Eddy".

Eddy looked up on at him. His features were, for the most part, still amused, but a certain hardness began to creep into his eyes. "What's _amusing_ is that you're talking about a _Kanker_ as though they're normal people. _They're not_. Those bat-crap crazies are bad news, Double D: always have been, and always _will_ be."

The two of them regarded each other for a moment, before Edd let out a tired sigh. "Eddy, why must you always be so negative?" Edd honestly didn't want to fight, and it wasn't like Eddy's doubts weren't justifiable in many regards.

Still: the fact was that Eddy, like usual, was seeing only what he _wanted_ to see, regardless if it was true or not.

Eddy's expression a bit as he saw Double D's weariness. He could be a pain in the ass, a total jackass, and a cocky jerk, but Edd and Double D were still his friends. Hell: they were like his brothers, his _real_ brothers. He put a friendly arm around Double D's shoulder.

"Listen, Double D: I know you _want_ to see the best in people. It's adorable, but you gotta grow a spine a little here, you know? Trying to be friends with a Kanker….hell, it's like trying to play nice with _my brother_. It's a dumbass move Sock Head. You're just gonna get burned, _bad_ ".

In a way, Edd was touched that this friend was looking out for him. Yet in this instance, he knew that Eddy was still _wrong_. He was simply using his own rather _colorful_ relationship with Lee to pass judgement on Marie. Again, Edd couldn't really blame him, but he knew better.

Gently, he asked, "Thank you for your concern Eddy, but isn't friendship more preferable than the antics of the past? My relationship with Marie is _nothing_ like your relationship with Lee, not anymore. Speaking of which: isn't it time for you two to end your feud? Wouldn't that be better?"

Eddy said only four words: " _Fat. Chance. Of. THAT!"_

True to their "deal", the Kankers had given the Ed's a month worth of laundry to wash. Yet Ed and Double D had gotten off pretty easily; Ed didn't know how to wash clothes, so he had just dunked the clothes in the washer, filled it with water, and let it soak for a week.

Marie, on the other hand, hadn't let Double D get off scotch free per say: she had given him a pair of socks to wash. It joke about the notorious "reverse psychology" experiment years past, Double D had given her his socks as a token of his "love". Truth be told, he had found it rather amusing. Not wishing to waste a whole load of water on two socks, he had simply washed them in the sink (whilst wearing rubber gloves of course). Thus, he too had kept his bargain.

Eddy, on the other hand, had been the least fortunate. In a nutshell, he had been forced to wash practically every single outfit Lee had ever owned. It had literally taken him days, and unsurprisingly had made him none too happy. When he angrily asked her about it, Lee had only snickered and said, "What can I say? I've been way behind on my washing this month".

Things got worse when he got his first tire back.

It was returned in perfect shape, save for the fact that Lee had deflated it completely. She was a woman of her word, yet also had the habit of finding loop holes in any deal that pertained to Eddy.

As a result of these antics, Eddy had went to DEFCOM 1 and swore he'd get even with his much taller advisory.

So all and all…Edd was not too surprised by his friend's vehement refusal of a cease fire.

Before he could open his mouth to try and talk some sense, Edd was suddenly grabbed from behind by Ed. Realizing that there was no Kankers nearby, the tallest Ed had regained his excitement about taking the shopping cart down the hill. With freakish strength, he lifted both Double D and Eddy with one arm and deposited them in the shopping cart.

"Ed! The hell are you-?" A disheveled Eddy began, but his friend cut him off.

"Ed wants to go sledding Eddy!" With that, Ed grabbed onto the cart and took off.

His unnatural speed, combined with the steepness of the hill and gravity, made the trio go sailing at high speed. They went so fast that Double D and Eddy actually held onto each other as they screamed in unison terror.

Ed simply laughed in total glee the entire way down.

While Edd questioned his life choices as he zoomed down the hill, Marie was walking with her sisters through the junkyard. There wasn't a whole lot to do at the cul-de-sac, and there always was a possibility, however remote, of finding something interesting in a junk heap. Like a spare part for a car.

As they walked, Lee seemed to be rather mindful. As school had ended, the three of them had walked down the hall only to come face to face with the Eds. Things went, for the most part, as usual. The tall one had cowered behind Eddy, the pipsqueak looked annoyed, and the brainy one looked slightly apprehensive.

Yet only slightly. And his apprehension had been directed at Lee, _not_ Marie.

Marie. The one person who he _really_ should have been nervous around.

Her sister had grinned at the boy mischievously, yet it was somehow….different. There was a certain familiarity now, a _friendly_ familiarity, as though she (and _him_ ) were happy to see each other. Although Lee had done her usual Eddy insulting and him his usual trash talk, there had been no such interaction between Marie and Double D.

In fact, all she had said was "Later, Double _Dreamy_." Yet it seemed more like a promise than a threat. And he…..well, he had _smiled_ at her. Not a nervous smile, but a _real_ , honest to God friendly smile.

To boot, Lee could have sworn she saw the puny little twerp actually _blush_ a little.

Between the early mornings and late Wednesday afternoons, it was clear Marie had been spending a lot of time with Double D. But Lee had figured she was just up to her usual tricks. Yet she knew her sisters, and could see a definite spring in Marie's step these days.

Slowly, it had dawned on Lee that Marie and the Sock Brain may have been getting _a lot_ closer than she thought.

A part of Lee was happy for her sister; sure, she was a pretty big pain in the ass and had a habit of forgetting her place in the pecking order, but she loved the brat dearly. She loved _both_ of them dearly.

Yet the facts remained: Double D was an _Ed_ , and they, like the other cul-de-sac morons, had made it exactly clear how they felt about the Kankers. Sure, as far as men went Double D seemed like a decent enough guy, but still.

She didn't trust him. He was still a guy, still an Ed, and was a lot smarter than the rest. This all had to be some ploy. Maybe he wanted to get close to Marie before he told her to bogger off once and for all. Or maybe he had finally noticed her sister and just wanted to get in her pants. It deem seem pretty _uncharacteristic_ for Double D, but even he musta noticed Marie by now.

Plenty of other losers had. Hell, all the cul-de-sac men definitely had, even if they refused to admit it.

Well…..maybe all of them but Ed. But there were days Lee wasn't even sure if that one was even human.

Notching her sister's thoughtful gaze at her, Marie cocked an eyebrow. "Lose something?"

Lee snorted, "A little birdie told me you've been spending an awful lot of time with a certain _neat freak_ we know."

Marie turned to May, shooting lasers at the youngest Kanker. But May shook her head and shrugged, exclaiming, "Hey, don't look at me! I didn't say anything, honest Marie!"

"I don't need blondie to see that you've been spending a lot of time in school lately. _You_. _At school_. Normally, you're almost as bad as I am when it comes to cutting" Lee pointed out as she crossed her arms.

Marie rolled her eyes, "Fine, so maybe I _have_. What of it?" Her voice was both defensive and challenging.

"You sure he ain't pulling something? Like another psychology trick?"

" _What_?"

Telling her sister was about to have a hissy fit, Lee held out her hands in a semi- placating way. "Relax, Marie. I'm just saying, it seems pretty strange that Double D all of a sudden is being all _nice_ and all." She coked an eyebrow, although no one could tell due to her hair.

"Unless…..are _you_ the one playing him? This is game to get into his pants, or sumthin?"

Unable to believe they were having such a conversation, Marie's cheeks lit up in anger. Through gritted teeth, she spat. "Lee, I swear: if I hear _one more word_ come outta that trap…."

Lee waved a hand, cutting off the threat. "Ah, relax Nancy: I know you can take care of yourself. You're a big girl after all. Still, I gotta ask: it's my job to look after you two losers after all."

Indignant, May exclaimed, "Hey! Who you calling a loser, Lee?!"

" _Whoever_ I want, Muffin brain!" Lee snapped back, annoyed at the interuption

Marie snorted, "Who the hell made you queen, carrot top?"

Lee swirled to her middle sister, nostrils flaring. "You just make a _ginger_ joke, you little twerp?"

And just like that, the three sisters were back to normal, bickering with each other. For Marie, it was a welcome alternative to Lee's relationship interrogation.

Later that evening, Edd was back at home busy working on an essay. Suddenly, his concentration was interrupted by the ringing of his house phone. _Hmm, that's curious_ he thought as he picked up the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Hey there cutie" a familiar voice responded.

Edd smiled, "Marie! Why this is unexpected!" Again, it wasn't. In the past few weeks, Marie had called him every now and then, supposedly for "help" with science homework. In reality, it was simply an excuse to further talk with him.

Edd knew that full well, and didn't mind one bit.

"So, what you up to, Oven Mitt?" Marie asked over the receiver, ideally holding the phone between her ear and shoulder as she put on nail polish.

Edd shrugged, "Nothing really. Finishing up the history essay that I'm quite certain you _neglected_ to do. _Again_."

He heard her snicker across the line. " _Oops_. Ah, well, guess I'll just have to threaten some nerd to write one for me. I have the perfect person in mind" she told him coyly.

"Oh, really? Pray tell" Edd played along, his voice brimming with dry humor.

"Well, he always wears a hat, has a fetish for orange, and totally _adores_ chicks with blue hair" she described mischievously.

"My, it sounds as though he rather has a thing for, as they call them, bad girls. Are you sure you'll be able to bend him to your will? You are such an _angel_ after all." Dimly in the back of his mind, Double D was well aware he was flirting back with Marie.

She giggled, "I'm sure we could come up with some _arrangement_." It wasn't really a trait associated with Edd, but he could be quite cavalier in those rare instances the mood struck him.

Needless to say, she loved it.

His ears beginning to grow a bit warm, Double D decided to change topics. "So, um, looking forward to the upcoming three day weekend?"

He could practically feel her eyes roll from Park N Flush. "No, Double D, I'd much rather spend Friday's sitting on my ass in some stinkin' classroom."

"Some of us _like_ school, Marie" Ed reminded her.

"Aww, it's cute when he gets all defensive" she gently mocked. "So, any big plans with Dumb and Dumber that day?"

"No, actually. Ed is helping Rolf around his farm, whilst Eddy has to stay home due to the fact his brother is visiting." He paused as they both remembered Eddy's brother and the rather unsavory person he was. "What about yourself?"

Marie snorted, "Naa. Lee has work, and May's busy too. So it'll just be me." She paused, then snickered as a thought occurred to her. "Would ya look at us? A freakin Friday and we're going to be sitting at home. What a pair of party animals."

Although Edd was perfectly fine at staying home, he did concede that it would be a rather sleepy day. "Well, you are always welcome to call if you get bored." He blushed as the words came out.

"Aww, thanks _cutie_." Marie paused for a second, unsure if she should follow through with an idea. _Ah, what the hell?_

Trying to keep casual, she asked, "Well, you wanna hang out or something?" She threw the words out faster than intended, her nerves betraying her.

Taken aback, Edd was silent for a moment. He was not expecting such an offer, yet a part of him said _Oh for goodness sake Eddward! It isn't as if you have any plans. Plus Marie is your FRIEND, and you LIKE spending time with her._

Regaining his voice, he said, "Why, um, certainly! That sounds like an excellent idea!" He said a bit nervously, although he still meant every word.

"It does?" Marie was shocked; honestly, she wasn't sure if he would have agreed. Quickly regaining composure, she said, "Well, duh: of _course_ it does. Anything beats fermenting in this trailer. Besides, we can talk about that essay my super dreamy lab partner is gonna write for me." Her voice was alive with playfulness and mischief.

Mostly mischief.

It was Edd's turn to roll his eyes. "Marie, although it is clearly not your forte, you must at least _acknowledge_ the benefits of academic honesty…..

They spoke for close to two and a half more hours, Edd convincing himself that all friends normally spent such lengths on the phone. Even after they had just seen each other. After they said their goodbyes, he felt a slight sense of giddiness.

It wasn't how he originally envisioned his Friday, but it was far better than what he planned. A small part of him wondered if they were going to be going on a quasi-date: he immediately dismissed such notions. Marie was his _friend_. It would have been too risky to even _think_ of a relationship.

 _Wouldn't it?_


	9. Pizza, Computer Games,and Monster Movies

Thanking the pizza boy, Double D handed him a tip and closed the door. Making his way to the kitchen, he placed the box and its contents on the small table, careful to make there was no grease stains. If there was anything he hated, it was grease stains.

And grass stains.

And food stains.

And…oh, hell: stains in general.

 _Relax, Eddward. No need to get excitable_. Taking a breath to ease his nerves, Edd looked at the clock. Marie said that she had to take care of a few things earlier, so she wouldn't get to his house until 2/2:30. It was already 2:10.

Inwardly, Edd was a bit excited, although that was hardly the term he would have chosen. For reasons that went beyond him, he had actually been looking forward to Friday ever since they had made the plans. It was nice to be in the company of friends, especially on a day with no school. He had even made sure to finish up the bulk of his homework the previous night so he wouldn't be distracted.

Still, he was a bit nervous. Their past house encounter aside, Double D really never had girls over at his home before. None of his past relationships had ever gotten to the "meet the parents" milestone. Nazz had actually been over to his house once, but that was as part of a study group including Kevin, Eddy, and Jonny. Kevin and Eddy had spent the entire evening vying for her attention (which, no surprise, Kevin received the most of).

That said, Double D never felt such a way toward Nazz that he was beginning to feel for Marie. Vis-à-vis, he never had had _feelings_ for her.

Edd silently groaned at the thought. Marie and he had finally reached a good place and _now_ his accursed hormones were threatening to spoil everything…

Three abrupt raps on his door broke his train of thought.

Straighten his shirt (which was simply one of his usual tees) he took a breath and walked to his door. Opening it, he found Marie leaning against the frame, dressed in faded jeans, a brown hoodie, and a black band tee with the word _Sex Ed._ written in red letters.

"Stripper-gram" she announced, favoring him with a most wicked smirk.

Edd simply rolled his eyes. "Cute."

As he stepped aside to let her in, Marie caught the sweet scent of dough, sauce, and cheese. "That pizza I smell?" She asked while taking off her hood. To her surprise, Edd was standing behind her and took it without hesitation, his gentlemanly instincts kicking in. The action brought a brief, but definite, blush to her face.

Making their way to the kitchen, Edd opened the box, smiling as Marie's eyes widened with delight. "Extra cheese and pickles, just as you like it. And-" he walked over to the fridge and pulled out a fresh bottle of ketchup. Placing it on the table, he finished, "-the secret, if slightly bizarre, ingredient."

Getting plates for the both of him, Marie felt her heart beat with joy. Sure, it was just pizza, but it was her _favorite_ pizza. Sitting down, she asked, "How'd you know, Oven Mitt? That secret file you got really that detailed?" She paused, her eyes narrowing playfully. "What _else_ you got written down there? My _cup_ seize?"

His face growing crimson, Edd cleared his throat in order to buy enough time to regain his composure. Deciding the best course of action was to ignore THAT remark, he instead answered "W-well….you have complained on a few occasions how the cafeteria's pizza lacks enough diary abstract, signifying you enjoy cheese. Plus, you accosted Jonny the other day for his pickle."

"And the ketchup?" she cocked an eyebrow playfully.

It was Edd's turn to smirk. "I daresay anyone who calls you friend is well aware of your fondness for the condiment."

Marie laughed, picking up a slice as she did so. "Oh, so we're _friends_ all of a sudden? And here I thought I was just your tormentor." She took the bottle and added a big glob of ketchup on top of the cheese."

"I daresay that has not been my opinion about you for quite some time now. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Although you already know that. "

His pure, untainted honesty took her back. She felt a flush come to her cheeks as she momentary looked away, flustered. _Goddamn, why's he have to be so freakin' open?_ She asked herself.

It wasn't, however, a complaint. Not by a long shot.

Noticing all, Edd took the opportunity to briefly become a tease himself. With a dry, yet warm, smirk, he asked, "What's this? Marie Kanker speechless? And here I thought I'd seen everything".

Looking up at him, she joined his giggle with one of her own. "You tell a _single_ person Double Dorky, and I swear…."

Eating as much pizza as they could stomach, Edd placed the leftovers in the fridge for later. Turning, he realized Marie had disappeared, gone off to do who knows what.

"Marie?"

"Over here, Double Dreamboat." Her voice called down from the staircase.

 _Deja-vu all over again_ Edd noted dryly as he climbed the steps. Walking into his room, he saw that she was sitting at his desk, her eyes narrowed as she searched for something on his computer. "What are you doing?"

Marie didn't look up from the screen, although a small smirk danced across her lips. "Going through your porn folder, duh. Gotta say though Oven Mitt: your sure do have a hat fetish. Explains _a lot_ actually."

" _Hilarious_ " he let out an exasperated sigh and eye roll. Peering over her shoulder, Edd saw that she was in the final stages of downloading something.

"What's that?"

"A computer game. Was playing it all third period yesterday." Marie answered breezily as she watched as the game finished installing.

Edd frowned. "Wait, I thought you had math during third period?"

"Holy shit Double D, you sound just like the principal." She said with mild irritation.

"Language, Marie," he automatically replied, the words coming of his mouth before he could think. _Hmm, I truly DO sound like a member of the administration._ He became aware Marie giving him the _I told you so_ look, causing a slight blush jumped to his face.

Before he could speak, another thought hit him, one that made him frown. "Wait, is this game free to play?"

"Nope."

"Then _how_ exactly did you install it onto my hard drive?" Edd paused a full three seconds as he considered the possibilities. With a look of horror, he exclaimed, "Marie! Please tell you didn't use illegal means to acquire this!"

Marie threw him an amused sideways glance. " _Pirating_ , Oven Mitt. The term is called pirating."

 _Good lord!_ Edd could only imagine what seedy website she had went on, installing only God knew how much malware and spyware onto his system. He would have to spend the entire day running virus scans, cleaning out the hard drive, changing all his passwords….

A slight edge of panic in his voice, he said, "Marie! Please delete that game at once! Please." He added the extra please at the end to make it clear he wasn't giving an order. Even in times of stress, Double D never forget his manners.

Marie smiled, fully expecting this reaction. "Awww, relax Brainiac. It's a stupid indie game; they're pirated all the time. No one gives two shits. Besides," her eyes twinkled as her tone became mock innocent, "This is _your_ computer after all. I'd just _hate_ to tell the internet police about your pirate lifestyle."

Edd starred at his friend, regarding her. "You _wouldn't_ " he said, his eyes narrowing.

She bit her lip. " _Try me_ , Dreamy."

Before Edd could open his mouth to respond, she added, "Or we could just play the stupid game. You're call." Regarding her, Edd could see she was looking quite satisfied with herself. He knew full well her threat was empty, yet he also knew he couldn't win either.

With a sigh, he relented, "Fine. Just what is the name of this game that you are so determined to play?" Edd tried to sound cross with her, truly. Yet try as he might, he just couldn't though.

Smiling at her victory, Marie answered. "Fear Kastle IV"

 _Oh. Not good_. Although he was loath to admit it, Double D wasn't the biggest fan of the horror genre. Unlike his freakishly strong friend, he was actually a bit of a scaredy cat.

Well….he was quite a LARGE scaredy cat.

Jump scares practically destroyed him.

"Well?" Marie's sly voice interrupted his train of fear.

"Ummm, well….umm" Edd stammered as he tried to find the right words. He bloody well couldn't just _tell_ her he was scared of a game he hadn't even played yet. To this day he still caught flak from Ed and Eddy. Halloween was an especially favorite time of the year for them, if nothing else than to torment him with their pranks.

Behind an amused eyelid, Marie could see Double D's internal struggle. "Don't worry Oven Mitt, I'll hold your hand if you need anything." She said, the remark half sarcastic and half sincere. Moving over slightly in the chair, she made enough room for him to sit.

Edd simply starred at the newly vacated space, getting nervous over an entirely new matter. "But Marie….there's only one chair."

"Nooooooo, really? Thanks for the newsflash Captain Flippin Von Obvious" her reply dripped with an acid sarcasm as it raised an octane.

He nervously regarded the chair. Honestly, he couldn't imagine sharing a single chair to be all that comfortable, especially a wooden one. Yet that wasn't the real reason for his hesitation, as much as he wished it was. If he took up her offer, he would be sitting close to Marie, _very_ close. In fact, they would be _touching_.

Touching. With her.

His normal nervousness about personal space violations aside, Double D was a bit uncertain about how to proceed. On one hand, Marie was his friend and had no qualms about sharing. (During once lunch she had casually passed by, took his sandwich out of his hands, taken a bite, and given it back with a wink). Yet on the other hand, his _feelings_ (oh how he was loath to admit it even to himself) made him feel awkward.

 _What if I start to stutter again? What if she notices my tension? Come now Eddward: of COURSE she will. Then what?_

Before he could go any further with that train of thought, a mildly exasperated voice cut through him. "Double D" She used his default nickname to grab his attention, "Will you stop being such a ninny and sit your _ass in. The. Chair_?" Her tone wasn't a threatening one like in the past, but the irritation and command in it was still clear.

With a gulp, Edd took his place next to her. Being so close, he caught a sample of her perfume; the scent sent a jolt to his heart. Noticing his bashful complexation, Marie tossed him an impish smile.

"Sweetie, you're adorable when you get all worked up. What's a matter: afraid of catching _cooties_?"

Her usual teasing did a lot to defuse his tension. With a slightly shy smile, he replied, "Some carry more cooties then others." He paused a beat before deadpanning "I know from experience."

Eyes narrowing, Marie favored him with a wicked grin.

"Jackass."

Feeling his nerves begin to gradually dissipate with the banter, Edd glanced at his computer monitor. As if to taunt him, a chilling laugh emanated from the title screen. It was no doubt a feature thrown in by some developer who thought themselves clever.

Needless to say, Edd didn't share such sentiments.

Noticing the slightly pale look on his face, Marie gave him a playful elbow. "Just stick with me sweetie: I got your back."

His face reddened a bit, but Double D tossed her a dry smile. "Oh, _my hero_."

"Damn straight" she responded with a mischievous grin.

"Wow Double D, you really _do_ suck at this." Marie noted dryly as Edd was greeted with his one trillionth game ending jump scare. Gritting his teeth in a mixture of fear and irritation, he leaned over (as far as he could) and let Marie take a turn.

"It is not my fault that this game has very poorly designed levels! "He tried (in vain) to defend himself. The goal was simple: make it through each level by selecting the right door until you cane across a staircase. Although each level varied, there was a certain pattern that, on a normal day, Double D would have by now been able to ascertain. It _should_ have been smooth sailing.

There was a problem however.

Those.

Damn.

Jump scares.

Whenever he was getting a rhythm, a misstep would trigger the coded fright, leaving him flustered. Although Marie would react too, she seemed to have a stronger stomach for such things. Her game over animations would cause an amused/scared shriek that was followed by giggles and snickering.

Sufficient to say, it was a _far_ different reaction then what Edd was having.

"Really? The levels are the problem? You sure _that's_ the story you wanna stick with?" she asked him with an infuriating coyness.

He gave her a withering look. "Every game is simply a matter of study and practice. Yet how can I practice when a _certain_ blur haired individual I know refuses to relinquish control of the mouse!"

She leaned toward him with her best insolent expression. "Hey, you'd get to play more if you didn't get caught by the ghost _every five seconds_."

That glove had been thrown. In a rare moment of childlike juvenility, Edd poked his tongue at her in reply. Rather than responding in kind, Marie reached over lightly pinched him, causing him to laugh. "Ohh, _ticklish_ are we?"

"No, not at all!" Edd frantically assured, noticing the wicked look in her eyes. But it was too late. Before he had a chance to defend himself, Marie unleashed the barrage.

It took all of his balance not to fall off the chair, laughing hysterically as Marie tickled him in the side. "Marie! Stop, I implore!" Edd gasped at her between laughing fits.

"Give me sass will ya!?" She told him as she finally eased up, her own laugh adding to the chorus of giggles. Regaining his composure, Double D regarded her with a smile.

"That was an underhanded tactic, Ms. Kanker." He told her as he wiped a tear from his eye.

Marie simply gave him a cat like grin. "All's fair in _love_ and war, sweetie." She made sure to add extra emphasis on the word love.

Gently deflecting the obvious flirt, Double D turned back to the computer monitor. A slight frown danced across his lips as the game beckoned. "Marie, although I am loath to admit it, I fear we will never be able to complete this game. Given the proper amount of time, I would certainly be able to ascertain the pattern in the levels and develop a concise strategy to…"

Before Edd could go on, he was suddenly cut short by Marie, who gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

His stomach dropped, his mind went numb his heart did cartwheels, and stars danced before his eyes all at the same moment. The furious blush on his cheeks summed up his thoughts better than words ever could.

"A-Ah, Um…m-may I ask what that was for?" He asked while clearing his throat.

With a playful smirk, she told him, "For luck, Oven Mitt." It was true, partially. The kiss was also to shut him up: she could tell he was about to get needlessly technical, and she could only take so much of _that_.

Her kiss was also because she couldn't help herself. Whenever he _did_ get all nerdy, she was reminded just how much she truly liked the Ed.

"L-luck?"

Passing the mouse over to him, Marie proclaimed, "Dream Head, we are going to sit here until we rock this game and kick its ass."

The odds seemed long, but also didn't want to take the air out of her confident declaration. Also, for some unfathomable reason, Edd suddenly found the need to prove Marie right. Without realizing it, he puffed his chest out slightly, almost like a knight about to do battle to win his fair maiden's favor.

"Agreed" he said leaning toward the monitor, his words laced by a newfound confidence.

 _My_ hero she snickered inwardly. That said, Double D's sudden burst of bravado melted her heart a bit.

It took far longer than expected, (even Marie had to acknowledge that the game "blew ass" after a point), but they were able to do it. After a seeming eternity of jump scares, and resisting the urge to check internet tutorials, Edd and Marie beat the game.

 _There's two hours of my life I ain't getting back_ she grumbled silently. Why the hell did people rant about this game? Sure, it had been fun at first, but after a while the novelty had begun to wear quite thin. Hell, the ending hadn't even been worth it. After hours of pointless jump scares, something, _anything_ , different would have at least been refreshing.

And yet, the ending had been, wait for it, _another_ jump scare.

Outstanding.

Still, Maire was somewhat glad they had decided to stick with it. If they hadn't she probably would have missed Double D's priceless reaction.

"We did it, Marie! Look!" He happily exclaimed after recovering from the game's final parting scare. Double D was so proud that he put a hand on Marie's shoulder as he triumphantly pointed at the screen, unaware of what he was doing.

She however was quite aware.

Marie smiled, both amused and endeared by Double D's excitement. She knew plenty of guys (and hell, plenty of _people_ ) who were the total opposite of him: egoistical, jerks, and never satisfied. Yet Edd was so different. He was a person who was happy with even the small things in life. It was just one of the many qualities she loved about him

"Umm, Marie?"

She shook herself out of reflection. Turning to look at him, she said, "Yeah, we did, didn't we? _Told ya so_." She threw him a mischievous wink as she stood up and stretched.

"I'm getting hungry: let's raid the fridge and get some grub".

They were both sitting back in Edd's kitchen, finishing up the leftover lunch from earlier. Usually, Marie couldn't stand reheated pizza, but she had to hand it to Oven Mitt: he sure knew one hell of a place. Not even being placed in the fridge for hours could dampen the taste.

As they ate, Marie attempted (much against his better judgement) to teach Double D how to arm wrestle. Predictably, she won ever round without much effort. Edd, on the other hand, looked as though he had just run a marathon. Twice.

"Holy crap Dreamboat, you must have _some_ upper body strength. I mean, you _do_ have muscles don't ya?"

He shot her an annoyed look between pants. "As you….well know…..Marie." He paused for a second to gulp more air. "Physical excursions….of _any_ sort…..are not my forte."

"You don't say" she smirked dryly.

Recovering enough to make fully formed sentences, he continued. "Unlike your sisters and yourself, Ed, Eddy, and I have very dissimilar levels of strength. Although Eddy's has improved significantly due to his sessions in the weight room, Ed's remains at a level that at times borders on the superhuman."

"And what's your strength level sweetie?" she asked coyly, already knowing.

Frowning at her, he replied a bit flippantly, "Ass. You know _full_ well that answer."

She stuck her tongue at him. "Hold it, did Double D just curse? Well, looks like I'll turn you into a _bad boy_ yet."

"I'd like to see you try, Miss Kanker" he replied with a dry smile.

She laughed at his choice of name. "I dunno, you sure Oven Mitt? Bet you'd be a total babe magnet." Her tone was mostly playful, but there was a slight tint of a test in it.

Edd smiled as he rolled his eyes. "Thank you for the confidence Marie, but I think that _one_ blue haired deviant is quite enough for me."

She leaned toward him slightly across the table, thoroughly enjoying the conversation. "Y'know speaking of being _deviant_ , I've been thinking of getting a belly ring for Halloween. Not sure if I want one that looks like a little skull or a smiling pumpkin. Whadya think?

"Umm….well….ah…" He stammered for the words, racking his brain to no avail. Suddenly however, a thought occurred to him.

"Wait, did you say for _Halloween_?"

Her smirk grew so much it practically curled. "Trick or treat."

His ears reddened at her flirtatious tone, but he did give her back a small smile. "Which would you consider it to be?."

Usually, Edd shied away from topics of such a nature, so he had no idea why he asked such a question. Or at least, that's why he tried to tell himself, before logic intervened.

 _Eddward, stop fooling yourself man. You know EXACTLY what you're doing, don't deny it._ He wasn't exactly oozing a George Clooney level of suave, but in his own way Doubld D was flirting back with her. Although loath to admit as much, it was the truth. And he knew it.

And so did Marie.

"Well, in _your_ case Oven Mitt, I bet it'd definitely be more of a _treat_." She said as she read him, her smirk gaining even more of a flirtatious edge. A furious blush erupted from Double D's cheeks, traveling all the way up to his ears.

Clearing his throat, Edd looked down at the table. _Who would have thought that I would be having such a conversation with Marie._ The thought brought a slight chuckle to his lips, causing Marie to cock an eyebrow. Noticing, he answered "I was just thinking of how amusing things can be. A few months ago, you were doing your best to torment me with water balloons, and now look at us."

Us. It was a term they were still getting used to. Edd meant every word he said, but he left out the whole _developing feelings for you_ part. Yet it didn't matter: Marie could read between the lines for herself.

Although expecting some dry, sassy reply from her, Marie was surprisingly quiet. She simply regarded him, her expression unreadable. After a few moments, she said raised her slice of pizza in a toast. "Here's looking at us, Double Dreamy." Her tone was unusually serious and…..thoughtful.

"So what comes next, hmm?" She added before taking a bite.

Not catching on to her meaning, Edd replied, "Well, you are the quest Marie. It is your decision on what you would like us to do."

A slight smirk came back to her lips, but her tone still remained soft as she shook her head. "Naa, Sock Head. Whatever comes next, that's all up to _you._ "

For three seconds, Edd simply stared at her, unsure what she was talking about. On the forth second, realization plowed into him like a brick wall.

 _She….she can't mean…Are we really having this conversation? Please tell me we aren't having THIS conversation!_

It was fair to say that, in all the years past, never once had he ever entertained the notion of being in a _relationship_ with Marie. In a way, the fact that such a thought sporadically appeared in the back of his mind showed just how truly far they had come. But still.

That didn't make the notion any less complicated. And complicated. And, well, _frightening_ , at least for him.

Playing dumb, Edd goofily responded to her, "Umm, I'm afraid I am not quite following you Marie."

She rolled her eyes. _The HELL you don't Double D._

Leaning back in her chair, she took another bit out of her pizza. Marie didn't bother to answer him back: her smile was enough to show she knew he was lying.

After they had finished up, Edd and Marie made their way into the living room. Although she was tempted to drop even more hints on Dreamboat, she could tell he wasn't quite ready, or willing, to go there yet. As such, she allowed the moment to pass and was back to being her usual self.

Double D was both relived and, (to his chagrin) a bit disappointed.

Marie plopped onto the coach, using one arm as a pillow. Seeing how she was stretched out and taking up three whole cushions, Edd regarded her with a raised eyebrow.

"Comfortable?" he asked with a wry voice.

"Eh, it's _alright_ " she impishly replied, giving him a gentle nudge with her foot as he sat down.

As he made himself comfortable, Marie asked, "So, how did the Bug Guy and Short Stuff react when they found out I was coming over?"

Edd paused before answering. "Honestly? I did not inform either of them about my Friday plans. After Lee's umm…..rather _large_ delivery of laundry, I'm afraid Eddy gets quite _testy_ at the mention of your sisters." He left out that the mention of _her_ name made him equally crabby, but Marie kind of figured that herself.

"Oh, that _really_ the reason Oven Mitt? Or you just _embarrassed_." She asked him, both in a playful/impish way, but also as a legitimate question.

He smiled, "If I were embarrassed, I would not have decided to spend my Friday with such delightful company, even if she does insist on placing her feet on my coach."

Snickering, she said, "Ah cool it, Jack: least I don't have my _shoes_ on this time." She wiggled her toes to emphasis the point, generating an amused chuckle as result.

"Y'know, I gotta say: Eddy's got some stones to pull a stunt like that. Sure, he's dead meat, but still. Watching him and Lee go at it is better than a cable fight."

"Stunt?" Edd asked, confused.

"You don't know?" She looked at him closely, realizing that he had no idea what she was talking about. Raising her eyebrows, she said, "Oooooh man. Well Oven Mitt, let's just say that thanks to Mr. Loudmouth, Lee's whites are now sporting a new pink hue."

Edd's eyes lit up in shock, "Surely you don't mean Eddy forgot to separate the loads!" He could imagine any greater washing horror: mixing whites with reds.

Unthinkable.

"Forgot? Sure, Double D: Eddy just happened to 'forget' with _every single_ white clothes that Lee has."

Flabbergasted, Double D sputtered, "My word, how could Eddy do such a thing?!"

Marie simple shrugged as she starred up at the ceiling. "Well, it ain't like Lee didn't screw him over either. She'll win in the end of course, but still."

Forgetting his shock, Edd narrowed his eyes as a small smirk of his own formed. "Why Marie, you're not implying that a Kanker was in the _wrong_ are you? _Heaven forbid_!"

She favored him with a very evil grin. "Wrongdoing, us? Sweetie, I got _no_ idea what you're talking about."

Edd chucked as she picked up the remote from the nearby coffee table and aimed it at the TV. As it warmed up, Marie and him were greeted by the image of a giant lizard, obviously a puppet, destroying a cheaply made model city. Frowning, Marie pressed the info button on the remote.

"The hell? _Attack of the Giant Lizard from Pluto_?"

"Hmm, this is a favorite of Ed's."

"Wait, _really_?"

Edd took a second to study the production values of the movie, which were clearly poor even by 1950's standards. "Well, it certainly looks like something Ed would enjoy seeing."

Marie let out a snicker. "Wanna watch? I'm a sucker for a good comedy."

Smiling, he retorted, "Aren't we all?"

As they watched, they suddenly found themselves in an episode of _Mystery Science Theater 3000,_ with Marie making sardonic comments about how awful the film was, and Double D throwing in his two cents every now and then. After one horrible film was on, another started right after. It didn't take them long to figure out that they had landed themselves straight into a b-movie marathon.

"Oh geez, and I thought movies today sucked." Marie cackled as _Revenge of the Mutant Snowman from Neptune_ started to play.

"Indeed. I must say Ed will be sorry he missed this marathon, assuming he hasn't already seen all of these, um. _Classics_."

"Classic my ass" Marie snorted with amusement. "You know, I can see why May likes the big guy so much: they both have the weirdest taste in just about everything."

It struck Double D just how similar not just Ed and May were, but also how Eddy and Lee's personalities aligned. In fact, the Kanker's Ed of choice appeared to be he who was the most similar to themselves.

Well, except for Marie and him.

He thought about it for a second, trying to ascertain an answer for himself. When none came to mind he delicately turned toward Marie, racking his brain for a delicate way to phrase the question. Yet her attention was glued to the TV. "What the hell? This thing is dubbed! What language you think they're really speaking Dreamboat?"

 _Perhaps some things will remain a mystery_. Regarding the TV, Edd squinted at the lips and tried to find the answer to her question.

Edd came out with a bowl of popcorn and placed it gingerly down onto the coffee table. It was growing a bit late, around 8:30 or so, and he knew that they probably should be calling it a night. Yet his parents were not expected back until tomorrow evening, and it would be rude to simply kick a guest out. Besides, he doubted Marie had anything going on either.

 _Admit it Eddward: you simply are enjoying yourself and don't want the day to end_. Before he could come up with some self-denying a retort, Marie appeared from the bathroom. Seeing the bowl of popcorn, she smiled at him.

"Aww, thanks Oven Mitt. And here I thought you couldn't cook if your life depended on it."

"Actually, the microwave has a preprogrammed popcorn setting" he responded matter of factly.

She gave an impish grin as she sat back on the coach. For some reason, it had been feeling a bit cold ever since the sun went down. Notching her shiver, Edd excused himself and disappeared somewhere in the house. A moment later, he came back carrying a blanket.

Without thinking, he draped it over Marie's shoulders, momentarily flustering the teenager. "I do apologize, but my parents do not usually put the heat up fully until the sixteenth, as required by law."

"Eh, not like a little cold can get to me." Notching how he himself seemed a catch a chill, Marie patted the seat cushion right next to her. "C'mon, snuggle up Dreamy."

As expected, Edd balked, but Marie silenced any excuse with an exasperated glare. "For crying out loud Double D, it's just a blanket. Besides, this way we can keep the popcorn between us. No mess, unless you _prefer_ that we scatter it all over the living room."

 _Curse her logical conclusion_. Edd sat down and blushed as Marie positioned the blanket so it covered the both of them. She wasn't leaning on him per say, but they _were_ lightly pressed together. As earlier when they shared the chair, the contact sent Edd's heart racing a mile a second.

As did hers, but she was much better at hiding it. Gradually, Edd became less stiff as he wordlessly took a small handful of popcorn. She was tempted to tease him, but wisely stifled the impulse.

 _Just enjoy the moment numbnuts_. It was advice that she was glad to follow.

One horrible movie played, then another, then another. At around 10:00pm, Edd felt his eyelids become heavy as he drifted off, dimly aware that Marie was doing the same. By 10:30, they both fell into a deep sleep that lasted the entire night.

Sometime in this period a sleeping Marie snuggled up against Double D, using his chest as a pillow. Although he too was asleep, he responded to her touch by gently wrapped one arm around and hugging her closer. They stayed like that until morning.


	10. The Moment of Ed

With a moan, Edd gently was roused from sleep by the sound of voices. For some reason his neck felt quite stiff, as though he had spent the night sleeping on the coach. Slowly blinking, he groggily realized he _was_ on the coach, still wearing his clothes from yesterday. In front of him, the TV was showcasing some cheap monster movie.

 _Curious….why am I…?_ Edd attempted to get up, but found that there was some sort of weight pressed up against him, holding him down. Blinking the last remnants of sleep away he finally focused and realized what, or rather _who_ , was snuggled up on top of him, still sleeping soundly.

 _OH MY GOOD LORD!_ With a shock, the events of the previous day came rushing back to him, including: the pizza, the horrid jump scares, and falling asleep watching terrible monster movies.

With an equally surprising jolt, Edd also became aware that he had one arm around Marie, _holding_ her.

Hugging her.

Closer to him.

His face took on a shade of red not usually seen outside of Saturday morning cartoons. Completely flustered, he tried in vain to get up, yet Marie's sleeping figure had him completely pinned. "Marie" he whispered a bit desperately. "Marie, um, _please_ wake up."

"Ah, shut it Lee" Marie dreamily replied. After a second, she was snoring, a minuscule amount of droll spilling onto Double D's shirt as she did so.

Normally, he would have been freaking out greatly, yet thankfully he was too busy panicing about the sleeping girl on his chest to notice. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder and tried to softly rouse her. "Marie, _please!_ "

She stirred, "Five more minutes Dreamboat" she replied sleepily. A moment past before she realized what she had just said.

 _Dreamboat_?

She opened one eye, blinking as she tried to get her bearings. Slowly, it dawned on her where she was. Sitting up, she looked down at a still flustered Double D, a slight blush of her own spreading across her face.

 _Shit_. Marie became slightly self-conscious, both at her disheveled hair and her wrinkled clothes. On his part Edd could still smell her perfume on his shirt, making him blush an even deeper shade of red. Both of them realized that the last time she had been sitting on top of him had been at the junkyard, where she had nearly kissed him.

It seemed like an eternity ago, in more ways than one.

Gently clearing her throat, Marie scratched the back of her neck. "Umm….morning?" She ventured, unsure what else to say.

Edd gave her a weak smile, "Good, morning Marie. Umm…..sleep well?" It was such a stupid question that it took alleffort not to slap his forehead as the words left his lips. Yet Marie gave a gentle laugh, lacking any of her usual snark.

"Pretty swell. You're _way_ better company than my sisters." She smirked before looking away ruefully. With a slight hesitation, she added "Your…um, pretty comfortable, Double Dreamy". She told him in a honest, if slightly bashful way.

Edd averted his eyes, remembering that he had been holding Marie when he woke up. _Was I doing that all night?_ Looking at her, he meekly asked, "Umm, Marie?"

"Yeah?"

"Errmmm, can you please get off? My leg is falling asleep."

With a slight reluctance, Marie complied. Sliding to the cushion next to him, she pushed her hair out of her eyes in an attempt to fix it. _Geeze, it's a freakin mess_ she thought irritably, a bit unsure why she was so bothered. Glancing to her right, she saw Edd starring at her, slightly transfixed.

"What?" she asked.

Sitting up, Edd cleared his throat, searching for the words. "Well, it's just….um your hair."

"What about it?" She asked a tad defensively, honestly unsure where he was going with this.

"It's, just, umm…." He took a breath and closed his eyes: _Too late to back down now Eddward_. With a furious blush, he forced his embarrassed words out into the open. "Your hair usually covers one side. So….it's, um, nice to see your eyes without obstruction."

"Oh. Umm, thanks Double D." Marie turned away, a wildfire spreading across her checks. She felt as though she should have said something nice back to Double D, but she didn't know quite what to say.

Her heart was racing too fast for coherent thought.

Although pretty well rested, her muscles had all sorts of kinks and knots that came from sleeping on the coach. Standing up, she stretched her back and pulled up her jeans slightly, prompting Edd to quickly advert his eyes. _He's adorable_ she thought to herself with subdued impishness.

Looking out the window, Marie frowned as she noticed the sunlight for the first time. "Hey Oven Mitt, what time is it?"

Blessed with a decent internal clock, Edd glanced outside. "Hmm, I would say sometime after 8:30, yet a bit before nine."

"WHAT?! SHIT!"

Her sudden outburst hit him like a wind gust, making him jump. Furiously, Marie made for the door, making sure to pick up her hoodie. A long string of expletives streamed from her mouth, far worse than the one she had just used.

"Marie?! What's wrong?" He asked her, nervous and concerned.

"If Lee's awake, I'm gonna get the freakin riot act read to me. If _Ma's_ home, my ass is gonna get nailed to the wall." She responded curtly as she opened the door.

Following her outside, Edd tried to ascertain what she meant. Suddenly, it hit him: Marie had been out all night, and had not informed anyone at all.

 _Oh dear!_ Hurrying to catch up, Edd called, "Marie, wait! Let me accompany you, so at least I may explain the situation!"

Marie stopped in front of his garage, turning to meet him. "Explain? How the hell you gonna do that, sweetie? Just gonna walk up to my Mom and say, 'Sorry Mrs.K. Me and Marie were just sleeping together and lost track of the time?' She cocked an eyebrow at him. "Yeah, that'll work realwell".

Blushing at her colorful description of events, Edd shook his head. "While I would not put it _that_ way, I will explain to your mother that whilst we were watching a movie marathon, we fell asleep on the couch."

Marie gave him a patronizing look. "Oven Mitt, I'm wearing the same clothes as yesterday, and my makeup is a mess. _No one_ would believe _that_ story."

On face value it did sound a bit flimsy, he had to admit. But still, Edd kept trying. "I would!" Seeing her smirk, he was forced to add, "Well…most of it."

She giggled, "Exactly. So best let me face the fire myself Sock Head. No use in both of us getting chewed out. Besides, it'd hardly be the first time it's happened."

"Will you be in trouble?"

"Well if Ma's not home, then naa. Lee won't tell, cause then _she'll_ get in the shits for not 'looking out' for me or whatever. If Ma IS home, well that's another story. Probably be grounded for a decade. Or freaking century"

She expected him to drop it right there, yet Edd was nothing if not a man of surprises. "Marie, I must insist. It is my fault you fell asleep: the least I could do is take my share of the blame."

"Your fault? Get real, Jack, you didn't do anything."

Edd remained firm, "I was the first one to fall asleep. As a host, it is most unbecoming to show such manners, especially in front of guests."

Marie laughed, finding his gentlemanly like demeanor cute. "Ahh, just stow it. We Kankers are used to trouble, it follows us everywhere."

Double D simply shook his head. "Please Marie, far be it from me to run off scotch free while my friend takes the fall. Besides we are, as you like to point out, partners in crime. I would hate to give your Mother the wrong impression and forbid you ever from coming over again." He paused, his ears turning a slight red. "If that were to occur, I would be quite saddened."

Marie starred at him, unsure if she heard him right. "You serious?" she asked, slightly dumbfounded. Edd of all people knew better to risk Kanker wrath, yet here he was offering to share it with her.

He was offering to stand by her. No one but family had ever done that before.

Edd offered her a warm smile. "Certainly!"

That was it. Seeing how caring he was, how honest he was, how _kind_ he was…..it was too much. In a sudden movement, Marie grabbed his shirt and brought his face within inches of hers. Caught off guard, Edd immediately stiffened up, unsure what was happening.

"M-Marie! What are you?-" he began, yet his voice died as he looked into her eyes. She was fluttering her eyelashes, without a single trace of mischief or humor. There was no smirk, no smug retort, no witty comment. All he saw in her eyes was a soft, gentle desire alongside a mild, yet fierce, determination.

"Edd" she said softly, gently placing her hands on either side of his face. He could practically feel her heart racing, dancing to the same rhythm as his own. "For once… just _shut up_." With that, she closed the gap between them and kissed him.

As a reflex, Edd stiffened as their lips met and a fire seemingly swept through his entire being. Yet he instantly relaxed, feeling as though his whole body shutting down. The kiss was unlike any Marie had ever given him before. This time around, it was soft and gentle, almost overflowing with emotion.

In short, it was a _real_ kiss. Edd couldn't think, couldn't even react. He simply stood there with his eyes closed, melting into her lips.

After a minute, Marie pulled back slightly, her lips almost touching his. She noticed that his eyes were still closed; not as a grimace, but as though he _enjoyed_ the kiss. "So…what do ya think?" She asked him softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Still tingling from the experience, it took Edd a second to answer. Barely finding his voice, he replied, "Honestly…..I'm not sure."

She smiled then said, "It's just like science Double D. If you ain't got the answer, try again." Marie pressed her lips against his again, more firmly time and with more passion than before.

Edd felt lightheaded. His stomach dropped as though on a rollercoaster, a warm sensation flooding through him. He felt his own emotions start to churn and swell, splashing and rattling uncontrollably. For that single minute, Edd made no attempt to hide from his feelings for Marie.

His mind fuzzy, he gingerly placed his hands on Marie's hips, only dimly aware of what he was doing. Without thinking, he pressed his lips softly against hers, responding to her passion with an equal amount of tenderness.

Marie felt ready to faint: A small part of her sang like a songbird, _Holy crap, he's kissing me! Double D is freaking kissing me!_ She didn't care if she sounded girly: it was _her_ turn to melt into his touch. She wrapped her arms around his head and pulled him in closer.

In that instant, nothing else existed in the world but each other. Totally in the moment, both of them failed to notice the slight skating of Double D's hedges, followed by muffled whispers of shock, pride, and utter joy.


	11. Meanwhile, Back in the Shrubbery

"Oh. My. God!" Nazz exclaimed in an excited giggle as she watched the exchange between Marie and Double D from the bushes. Together with Rolf and Ed, she had watched the entire scene unfold, much to her sock and joy.

"Quiet Nazz girl! If the blue haired Kanker discovers us, Rolf's bunions will be inflamed for a week." Rolf whispered back anxiously, yet there was a prideful tear in his eye has he watched the Sock Headed Ed Boy.

 _Son of a gun, he makes the son of a shepherd proud…._

Crouching next to Rolf, Ed's reaction was complete total opposite to those of his friends. He desperately wanted to shout a cootie warning to Double D, yet Rolf had clasped a hand over his mouth, muffling any attempts. Instead, Ed could only watch in horror as Marie subjected his hapless friend to the dreaded make out of doom.

 _No, not Double D!_

The morning has started out simple enough. Ed and Rolf, as promised, had gotten to the school auditorium to help Nazz set up for the fall fashion show. The two had gotten close in a year, ever since Rolf had fallen ill to the flu. During that time, Ed had helped around the farm, taking care of the animals whilst Rolf was too sick to do so. Although the Ed Boy needed constant supervision, his freakish strength had come in handy. Plus, he loved animals- something that had earned Rolf's respect.

The trio had been walking back to the cul-de-sac, passing by Double D's house when they heard a commotion. Seeing Marie emerge from the house had sent Ed into panic mode, where he had grabbed hold of his companions and dove headlong into the bushes. Neither Rolf or Nazz had been too happy to eat a face-full of leaves, but had quickly shut up as they overheard the conversation. Everyone was shocked when Marie stepped closer to Edd, more shocked when she kissed him, and practically through the roof when she kissed him _again_.

The biggest kicker though had been when Double D had kissed her _back_ ; although Nazz and Rolf had noticed it, Ed had been too busy cowering to notice such details.

Frantically, the big guy racked his brain, trying to think of a way to rescue Double D. The obvious choice was to leap forth, grab Double D, stuff him under an arm, and run until they had made it halfway across the country. Of course, experience had taught the big guy that such a plan would likely fail, and quiet painfully. Although Marie wasn't the matron of make-out who filled him with the _most_ dread, Ed knew well enough that an enraged Marie made for a sad Ed.

A very, very, _very_ sad Ed.

Ed's complete misread of the situation was interrupted by Rolf, who silently gave a sniffle as he wiped away a rouge tear. The action was also noticed by Nazz, who turned away from Double D and Marie and regarded him with a somewhat puzzled expression.

"Aaaah, dude you alright?"

Flustered, Rolf half-heartedly snapped defensibly at his companions, making sure to keep his voice quiet as to not alert either Double D or Marie. "Do not judge Rolf! The courtship of the ram is a beautiful thing, is it not?"

Nazz giggled at the thought of Double D being called a _ram_ , but couldn't help but agree. _The smarty and the bad girl: good for you Double D. It's about time after all_ , she inwardly added _._

Ed said something incomprehensible, owing to the fact that Rolf still had a hand firmly clasped over his mouth. Letting go of his friend, Rolf immediately placed a finger over Ed's lips instead, stifling a panicked shout just in time.

"Be silent Ed Boy! What must Rolf say before your barren skull comprehends?!" He hissed as silently as possible.

Nazz put a shoulder on Ed, also trying to calm him. "C'mon Ed, we're in _high school_ : you see this stuff every day. What's with the hysterics?"

Using his undeniable, matter of fact logic, Ed replied, "You don't understand Nazz! Marie has Double D trapped!"

Glancing over, Nazz felt a giddy giggle as she looked at Edd and Marie. "I dunno dude, Double D looks pretty _relaxed_ from this angel.

"But she's a girl!"

Nazz frowned, not sure where Ed was going with this. "Yeah….?"

"Girls have cooties!"

Dumbfounded, Nazz simply looked at Ed. Taking a moment to collect from shock, she gently pointed out the obvious. "Ed…" she began, unable to believe she was having _this_ conversation, "Girls don't have cooties. I would know: I _am_ a girl."

Ed blinked, starring at Nazz as he processed the information. Looking at her head to toe, he put a finger on his chin as he mulled, deep in thought. After a few seconds, his typical smile returned, followed by a happy exclamation of "Hello, sailor!"

Nazz rolled her eyes, but smiled warmly as she did. Quite honestly, she doubted Ed had any idea what that expression even meant, yet there was something disarmingly endearing about Ed's innocence. The guy may have had his peculiarities, but he still was one of the friendliest and good hearted people she knew- even with his Kanker Phobia. Nazz placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, but before she could say anything Rolf interrupted with a nudge.

"Look, look! The blue one departs!"

Looking over, Nazz saw it was true. Marie was walking away, her expression one of giddy happiness and immense self-satisfaction. Edd watched her until she disappeared from sight. He then turned toward his house, staggering slightly as though drunk. The trio waited until he had stepped inside before they spoke again.

"You see guys! She has taken his brain, leaving him weak like the Drone People from Jupiter!" Ed said, lamenting the fate that had befallen his friend.

Rolf slapped him on the shoulder, exclaiming, "Nonsense! Come now, we must go congratulate the Ed Boy for his growth of the manly hair chest!" As Rolf stood up to leave, Nazz reached over and yanked him back down.

"Dude! Yeah, don't you think Double D wants, I dunno, some _privacy_?" She asked in an exasperated voice.

"But weren't we just violating his privacy by spying on him?" Ed asked, hitting the nail on the head.

"Well, umm…that's….." Nazz struggled to find an answer as the trio rummaged their way back to the sidewalk. Grudgingly, she realized that Ed did make a point. Not that she would admit it out loud.

Rolf snickered slightly, thoroughly enjoying her fumbling attempts at locating an answer.

Giving up, Nazz stated defensively "That's different Ed! We were just passing through!"

Ed frowned, "But Nazz, we were hiding inside shrubbery."

Rolf laughed out loud, now greatly enjoying the conversation.

Unable to come up with any convincing counter claim, Nazz quickly changed the subject. "Okay, well we need to keep this to ourselves. We start talking and the whole school is gonna have a field day."

Rolf let out a frustrated sigh, asking, "Why must the youths of today always make things complicated? Where Rolf is from, the first season between two wildebeests is something celebrated, not hidden."

Wiping away leaves and dirt, the trip made their way toward Rolf's house. "Okay, well I don't know anything about _seasons_ , but this is something Double D and Marie need to work out on their own. No need to put them under a magnifying glass." Nazz said as they walked.

Ed paused in misstep, comprehending what Nazz was saying. "What about Eddy?"

Nazz turned toward him with a curious look. "What about him, Big Guy?"

"Wouldn't Eddy want to know about Double D's latest trauma?"

Nazz gently patted Ed on the shoulder, a bit touched that he _still_ didn't quiet grasp the situation. "Noooooo, Ed. Firstly, Eddy's probably the _last_ person we'd want knowing about this. Secondly, Double D wasn't in any trouble; Marie wasn't doing all the work back there. He was _kissing_ her back, Ed."

Ed starred back, digesting the information. "Kissing?"

"Yeah."

"As in icky yucky kissy face?!"

"Yeah, except the whole 'icky yucky part'" Nazz replied with amusement, using air quotes at his choice of words.

Ed and Nazz starred at each other for a moment, with respective looks of shock and happiness. In unison, they turned to look back at Double D's house.

"So another brave warrior falls prey to dreaded bite that is love" Ed said with horror and resignation.

Nazz laughed as she playfully elbowed Ed. "It's not that bad, Ed- trust me. One of these days you'll understand." She paused, growing reflective as she thought of Double D and Marie. With a grin, she added, "I think Double D _and_ Marie might just be starting to understand it themselves.

 **Authors Note: Sorry for the (long, loooooong) delay: work and life in general made it a tad difficult to find the time to write consistently. But, returned I have! I can't promise anything even closely resembling a regular publishing schedule, but I have the story mapped out fully and plan to keep chugging ahead.**


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